When to use the word at in english grammar

Prepositions in and at with words beginning, middle, end: usage rules

Often in English, a single preposition completely changes the meaning of an entire phrase. What are the prepositions to use to say in English «at the beginning», «at the end» and «in the middle»? In or at? I have prepared an article in which we will analyze in detail in what cases and according to what rules they are used.

:

I. Use of the prepositions in and at with the word beginning
II. Using the prepositions in and at with the word end
III. How to say «in the middle» in english
IV. Usage table in, at before beginning, middle, end

Using the Prepositions in and at
with the word beginning

We use in when we are talking about the beginning of something, while the «beginning» lasts in time. Sentences with the preposition in:

He was a student in the beginning of the 1970s.
He was a student in the early 70s (that is, from 1970 to 1975).

In the beginning of our relationship he was so quiet, but now he’s very active.
At the beginning of our relationship, he was so quiet, but now he is very active (he has been quiet for a while).

The at preposition is used when we point to a specific point in time. Examples with the preposition at:

At the beginning of the party I offered to play Twister.
At the beginning of the party, I suggested playing Twister (at the moment the party started).

At the beginning of the movie we could hear a shout.
At the beginning of the film, we hear a shot (at the very beginning, at the very first moment).

Note that both expressions used with the preposition of.

At the beginning was The Word (Bible)

Using the prepositions in and at with the word end

In the end is a phrase that means «in the end.» It is used when we talk about the end result of any action or situation and emphasize the duration and complexity of achieving the result. Examples of using in:

In the end, she chose the University of Oxford.
In the end, she chose Oxford University.

He had a lot of problems with this job, so he gave up in the end.
He had a lot of problems with this assignment, in the end he gave up.

At the end translates as «at the end of something», this phrase is always followed by the preposition of. Suggestions with at:

At the end of the long day we finally had a rest.
At the end of this long day, we finally got some rest.

My favorite store is at the end of this street.
My favorite store is at the end of this street.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone (“Life begins where it ends
your comfort zone «, Neil Donald Walsh)

How to say «in the middle» in english

If we want to point to the middle of something, we should use in the middle + of:

In the middle of our living room there is a table.
There is a table in the middle of our living room.

In the middle of the 90s I bought a small flat.
In the mid-90s, I bought a small apartment.

With the preposition at the word middle not used.

Puzzling over pretexts?
Download a selection of articles on prepositions in English
and find the answers to your questions!

Usage table in, at
before beginning, middle, end

To better remember where at is used and where in is used, I have prepared a convenient table for you. Save yourself to return to it when needed.

Please note that the article the is always placed before beginning, middle, end.

IN	AT
The Beginning	If the beginning lasted in time He was a student in the beginning of the 1970s.	If the beginning is a specific moment in time At the beginning of the movie we could hear a shout.
the middle	AlwaysIn the middle of 90s I bought a small flat.	Never
the end	When We Mean In the end, she chose the University of Oxford.	When we mean «at the end of something» At the end of the long day we finally had a rest.

The meaning of what is said depends on the correct use of prepositions in English. In order not to «stumble» over prepositions, it is important to remember the rules of their spelling.

There are so many such nuances, how can you learn them all and not get confused? If you have decided by all means to confidently speak the language, come to my Marathon «Speak in English in 1 month». And let this article be the beginning of your decisive movement towards the goal!

Your Polina Chervova,
founder of the WillSpeak school

Source: https://willspeak.ru/blog/predlogi-in-at/

Prepositions of place IN, ON, AT

The eternal problem is pretexts. Obeying the logic of our native language, we continue to translate literally all words, even prepositions. And if things are better with the prepositions IN and ON, because they are often translated in the same way as in Russian, then the situation with the preposition of the place AT is complicated, it has no analogue in Russian, and it is translated differently each time.

Today we will look at the three main prepositions of place: IN, ON, AT, we will analyze the exceptions and contradictory use cases.

Preposition IN — in, inside

IN indicates position within large or small spaces. Spaces may not have visible boundaries:

in the room — in the room in the house — in the house in the north of the country — in the north of the country in the garden — in the garden in the bag — in the bag

in an office — in the office

The preposition ON — on, on the surface

ON indicates a position on the surface of something, or if one object is attached or adjacent to another:

on a wall — on the wall on the ceiling — on the ceiling on a table — on the table on the floor — on the floor on a finger — on the finger

on my head — on my head

The preposition AT — y, near, in, on

AT always denotes proximity to something in space, a point in space. As already mentioned, the preposition AT has no direct analogue in Russian, therefore it can be translated in completely different ways. Nevertheless, in all phrases AT stands for the same thing, it just sounds unnatural in Russian:

at the door — at the door (near the door) at the desk — at the table (at the table) at the traffic lights — at the traffic lights (at the traffic lights) at the bus stop — at the bus stop (at the bus stop)

at the end of the street — at the end of the street (at the end of the street)

IN preposition:

in bed — on the bed in a street — on the street in the sky — in the sky in the world — in the world in a book — in a book in a picture — in a picture in a photograph — in a photograph in the middle — in the middle, in the middle in a row — in a row in a queue — in the queue

In a mirror — in the mirror

More expressions with IN can be found here.

Preposition ON:

Source: https://enginform.com/article/predlogi-mesta-in-at-on

Prepositions of time and place At, In, On — rules of use

The most ancient and popular prepositions in English are in at on. Over the course of many centuries, due to repeated use, these service parts of speech have acquired various functions and semantic meanings. There are many nuances in the use of these words, so they should be taken very seriously, since their misuse, both orally and in writing, can create an awkward situation or question the literacy of the speaker.

The use of the prepositions IN, AT, ON in the meaning of time

The preposition IN is used with months, with the names of the seasons, with the years, with long periods of time (in the 16th century). Examples:

• I’m going on holiday in August. — I’m going on vacation in August.
• Kate left school in 1998. — Katya graduated from school in 1998
• The garden is magic in winter. — In winter, the garden is magical.
• This castle was built in the 13th century. — The fortress was built in the 13th century.

Remember! If a date is specified, then the preposition on is used, not in.

The preposition AT is used to denote the time when it is spoken of hours (at 2 o’clock, at 6 o’clock), certain moments of the day (at lunchtime, at midnight, at noon, at night), weekends / holidays (at Easter, at Christmas). Examples:

• We will meet at 9 o’clock. — We’ll meet at nine o’clock.
• I’ll come back at midday. — I’ll be back at noon.
• People gives presents each other at the New Year. — People give each other gifts on New Years.
• It rains at night. — It rains at night.

Remember! If you mean a specific night, you can also use the time preposition in:

• Christmas is coming. All the dreams come true in the night. — Christmas is coming. All dreams come true on this night.

Remember! American English is spoken on the weekend, not at the weekend.

Also, the preposition AT in English is used in fixed expressions that need to be memorized:

• at the moment — at the moment
• at present — currently
• at the same time — at the same time
• at that / the time — at that / specific time
• at the age of — at the age of years

Example: He is sleeping at the moment. He is currently asleep.

The preposition ON is used before dates (September 5, May 16), days of the week (Wednesday, Saturday, Friday), and special dates (birthday, wedding, etc.). Example:

• He was born on March 10. — Born on March 10.
• Call me on Saturday. — Call me on Saturday.
• Who will come on your birthday? — Who will come to your birthday?

All of the above can be summarized in one table, into which, when performing reinforcement exercises, you can (at first) peep.

In addition, you need to remember the following rules:

Time prepositions are never used with all, this, one, some, that, each, any, last, next, every!

Example:

• He is coming back next Monday. — He’ll be back next Monday.
• I went to Greece last year. — I went to Greece last year.

Time prepositions are never used with the words tomorrow, yesterday, tonight, today.

Example:

• Ann saw them yesterday morning.
• Anna saw them yesterday morning.

Use of prepositions IN, AT, ON in the meaning of place

The preposition IN is used in speech to indicate the position of an object within something: a larger object, a building, a territory — in one word, a closed space.

examples:

• We will go for a walk in the park. — We will take a walk in the park.
• My coins are in my purse. — My coins are in my wallet.

The preposition IN is also used when designating a place of work, but with one amendment.

examples:

• He works at Tate. “He works at the Tate.
• He works in a shop — He works in a shop.

While the proposals refer to one location, the former refers to the company itself, while the latter refers specifically to the place of work.

Remember! These phrases need to be memorized:

• work on a farm — to work on a farm, BUT work in a factory — to work in a factory.

The preposition IN should be used when specifying the location of an object inside a building:

Example:

• It was rainning, so I decided to shelter in the cafe. — It was raining, so I decided to hide in a cafe.

Both the preposition in and on are used before the names of the roads.

Example:

• The Petrol Station is on / in Wood Road. — The gas station is on Wood Road.

The preposition IN is used before the names of cities and countries: in Greece, in Russia, in London.

The preposition ON in the meaning of a place must be used when designating an object that is on a flat surface or in contact with it (on the celling — on the ceiling; on the wall — on the wall; on the floor — on the floor, etc.)

Example:

• John built the cottage on the lake. — John built a cottage on the lake.
• I saw a big stone on the road. — I saw a large stone on the road.

As for moving around by transport, here they use both the preposition in and on, depending on the meaning. Let’s look at some examples:

• He is going to come on a train. — He’s going to come by train.
• Alice was in the train when I’ve come to meet her. — Alice was on the train when I came to meet her.

In the first case, the use of a certain type of transport is implied, and in the second, the fact of being inside the vehicle itself. An exception is the phrase «in a car» — «in the car». The preposition in is always used here.

The preposition AT is usually used when referring to a specific place or point, rather than an area or unlimited abstract territory.

examples:

• There were a lot of directors at a festival. — There were many directors at the festival.
• I met her at Mary’s Birthday. — I met her at Mary’s birthday.

As you can see, in the phrases at a festival and at Mary’s Birthday, the preposition indicates a specific place.

The preposition AT is also used before the names of cities, implying institutions located there or large-scale events taking place there.

examples:

• There were a lot of well-known people at London Theater Festival. — Many famous people attended the festival in London.
• Many well-known people live in London. — Many famous people live in London.

The difference is understandable even for those who do not yet have deep knowledge of English or those who know little about the theatrical life in London. London in the first case is part of the name of the event (London Theater Festival), and in the second it means the city itself.

The preposition AT is used before the names of educational institutions, shortening and hiding their full name.

Example:

• I study at Moscow (The University of Moscow). — I study at the University of Moscow.

Compare:

• I study in Moscow. — I study in Moscow (meaning the city itself).

You can use the preposition AT when talking about various organizations:

Example:

• She works at L’Oréal. “She works at L’Oreal.

The preposition AT is used before the name of buildings and structures when they act as specific points or landmarks: at school, at the dentist’s, at the supermarket, at the shop etc.

It is also recommended to use the preposition AT, when it is not the building itself that is meant, but the action taking place in it:

Example:

• Tom was at the planetarium yesterday. “Tom was at the planetarium yesterday.
• Robbie eats at McD on Friday. — Roby eats at McDonald’s on Fridays.

The preposition AT precedes the digits when specifying the address.

Example:

• Their house is at 36 Park Avenue. “Their home is on 36th Park Avenue.

The preposition AT is placed before the name of a street when an institution is indicated on it.

Example:

• The presidents were meeting today at Downing Street. — Today the Presidents met in Downing Street.

In this case, we mean the residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, located at this address, and not the street itself.

However, when referring to the financial institution on Wall Street, they speak on Wall Street.

And one more nuance when using the preposition AT: according to the general rule, it always follows the verb “arrive” (to arrive).

Example:

• We arrived at the station in time. — We arrived at the station on time.

But if we are talking about arriving in a large city / metropolis, then the preposition IN is used.

• The airplane arrives in Chicago at 14.20. — The plane arrived in Chicago at 14.20.

Prepositions IN, AT, ON in stable expressions

Phrases and phrases formed in a certain period of history and not changing for a long time are called fixed expressions. There are no clear rules for using prepositions in such constructions, so they need to be memorized. Here are the most common ones:

• in somebody’s opinion — in the opinion of someone;
• in fact — in fact, in fact, in fact;
• in case — in case;
• on the radio / television — on radio / television;
• on holiday / business / a trip / an cruise etc. — on vacation / on a business trip / on a trip / on an excursion / on a cruise, etc;
• at last — finally.

examples:

• Cafe is closed. The stuff is on holiday. — The cafe is closed. Staff on vacation.
• In my opinion he is very clever boy. — In my opinion, he is a very smart boy.
• The sky was cloudy and I took my umbrella just in case. — It was cloudy in the sky, and I decided to take my umbrella just in case.
• I’ll hear her speech on the radio tomorrow. “I’ll hear her speech on the radio tomorrow.
• At last, I read this book till the end. — Finally, I read this book to the end.

Reinforcement exercises

Insert suitable prepositions for the time.

1. I’m busy the moment. 2. He will come back an hour. 3. We will go to New York next week. 4. They got married June. 5. Do you work Saturdays. 6. Let’s meet 7 pm tomorrow. 7. I call parents every Sunday. 8. The bus leaves ten minutes. 9. I’ll get my money the end of the month. 10. I go to the gym Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Answers: 1. at, 2. in 3. sentence is complete 4. in 5. on 6. at 7. sentence is complete 8. in 9. at 10. On

Translate the following sentences into English.

1. He will go to work on Saturday. 2. We will arrive at 8 o’clock. 3. She was born in July. 4. The store opened in 2003. 5. They got married on September 12th. 6. We will go skiing this winter.

Complete the sentences with suitable prepositions.

1. Do you sometimes watch TV ____ the mornings? 2. Are you usually at home ____ 7 o’clock ____ the evenings? 3. Do you sometimes work ___night? 4. What do you usually do ____ weekends? 5. Do you usually go shopping ____ Saturdays? 6. Do you go skiing ____ the winter? 7. Do you have a holiday ____ December? 8. Is there a holiday in your country ____ 6, January?

Answers: 1 in, 2 at / in, 3 at, 4 at (Br. E) or on (Am. E), 5 on, 6 in, 7 in, 8 on.

Source: https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/predlogi-vremeni-i-mesta-at-in-on.html

How to understand the prepositions of time and place in English?

Prepositions of time, place, and addition are found in almost every English sentence. Considering that even native speakers are sometimes confused in their use, it is not only important to understand this topic, but also interesting!

Prepositions for a specific moment in time

In English, various prepositions are used to indicate a specific moment in time. Consider the following rules:

When talking about days, the preposition should be used on:

• We will see him on Saturday. — We will see him в Saturday.

• my vacation begins on Monday. — My vacation will begin в Monday.

To indicate half day, midnight, night and hours of the day, use the preposition at:

• Her train arrives at midnight. — Her train arrives в midnight.

• We to walk at night. — We like to walk at night.

• The concert finished at 10 pm — Concert is over в 10 pm.

With the rest of the day, months, seasons and years, use the preposition correctly in:

• Small children usually sleep in the afternoon. — Small children usually sleep during the day.

• The nights are long in January. — В January nights are long.

• The birds leave in late autumn. — Birds fly away in late autumn.

• The town was founded in 1825 — The city was founded в 1825 year.

Prepositions for a period of time

To designate a certain period or process in time in English, it is customary to use the following prepositions: since, for, by, from-to, from-until, During, (with)in… Let’s look at examples:

• They are going to Rome for a week. — They’re going to Rome on a week.

• He has been sick since yesterday. — He is sick with yesterday.

• It often rains in London from February to May. — C February by May it rains a lot in London.

• He will be on important business trip since July until the end of August. — He will be on an important business trip с July by end of August.

• We are going to visit many countries During our vacations. — During the we are going to travel to many countries on vacation.

• He was the first student to finish up the work Within an hour. — He was the first student to graduate for hours.

Prepositions for specifying a place

A number of prepositions are used to define a place in space in English.

If you need to report the presence of an object in any place or in another object, you should use the preposition in:

• There is nobody in the room. — В the room is empty.

• They live in Spain. — They live в Spain.

Pretext inside are used to communicate that an object is inside something that has clear boundaries:

• There is a toy inside the box. — within the box is a toy.

If something is lying on some surface, here you need the preposition on:

• She put the cake on the table. — She put the cake on table.

When talking about a specific location, the preposition is better. at:

• He waited for us right at the bus stop. — He was waiting for us right on bus stop.

Prepositions for specifying the location of an object (above or below something)

In English, when defining an object that is above something or above something, prepositions are used over, above. For example:

• There are clouds over the city. — Above city ​​of clouds.

• There is a painting above the sofa. — Above sofa picture.

In order to describe an object located below or under another object in space, the prepositions should be used for, underneath, beneath, below:

• The cat is hiding for the bed. — The cat is hiding under bed.

• The temperature is 5 degrees below zero. — Temperature — 5 degrees below scratch.

• My pencil was lying underneath the table. — My pencil was lying under table.

Prepositions indicating that the object is near

Prepositions should be used to describe an object that is in close proximity near, by, Next to, between, among

Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/kak-razobratsya-v-predlogah-vremeni-i-mesta-v-anglijskom

The use of prepositions of time in English / at / — / on / — / in / — video lesson

specific time	at	12:30, 3 pmnoon, midnight
day-date	on	Saturday, MondaysNew Year’s Day, Dec. 5-th
monthsseasonsyearsdecadesperiods	in	September the Summer 1995 the 1960s the Middle Ages

Today we will talk about an important element of English grammar — prepositions.

Students are very often confused in the use of one or another preposition, and this is mainly due to the fact that different prepositions are used in different languages ​​in the same cases.

If you also have difficulty using prepositions — don’t worry! Many other English as a foreign language students experience the same difficulties.

This does not mean that you are incapable of learning English.

In some cases there are rules, in others you need to memorize stable expressions, but if you study English regularly, then the correct use of prepositions will be remembered by itself.

Today I am going to tell you about three little words, three prepositions that occur most frequently in English.

These are prepositions: at, on, in.

They can be used as applied to time or place.

In this tutorial, we will look at how these prepositions are used with time.

The preposition ‘at’

This preposition is used in cases where we specify an exact, specific time.

For example:

at 12:30, at 5 o’clock, at 3:55

Those. we are talking about a specific time.

Pretext ‘at’ also used in expressions such as: at midnight, at noon.

The preposition ‘on’

Used when specifying a wider time period than in cases with ‘at’

For example: one day or event (date) — on Saturday, on Mondays

You can for example say:

My yoga class meets on Mondays.

Pretext ‘on’ also used in combination with holidays:

on New Year’s Day.

We’re going to meet on December 5th.

Preposition ‘in’

It is used when specifying the longest period of time from all the prepositions considered.

Sometimes, if you are not sure which preposition to use, you can use the preposition ‘in’, because it covers all periods of time, i.e. used in the broadest sense (in time).

But I advise you to still remember these not tricky rules and use the right prepositions.

So the preposition ‘in’ we use before months, seasons, years, decades or periods of time.

For example:

I was born in September.

I was born in the summer

I was born in 1995.

It happened in the Middle Ages.

уроки

Use of prepositions of place at — on — in

English Joke

«Why do you take baths in milk?»
«I can’t find a cow tall enough for a shower.»

Source: https://www.lovelylanguage.ru/grammar/video-lessons/107-time-and-prepositions-at-on-in

Time prepositions in English: at, in, on

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The subject of prepositions in English is simple and complex at the same time. It would seem that he remembered once and for all, where is the pretext, and there are no problems. But, as you probably already noticed, English is not only a language of rules, but also of exceptions. Today we will try to understand in more detail the prepositions of time, namely: at, in, on.

General rule for prepositions of tense

Why are we considering these three prepositions together? The fact is that when we use them, they are all translated into Russian in the same way — «in».

Hence the confusion, because in Russian “в Friday «is on Friday, «в 1999 «- in 1999, «в 8 in the morning» — at 8 am

Let’s first look at the general table with the rule for three prepositions, and then we will deal with each preposition separately.

To better remember this information, we suggest watching the following video.

The preposition at in English

And here are some rules for using the preposition at:

1. With specific points in time: at 6 o’clock (6 o’clock), at midday (noon), at midnight (midnight), at the moment (now).

I heard a strange noise at midnight. — At midnight I heard a strange sound.

However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in some cases we still use the preposition in when talking about the night:

• With expression in the middle of

I woke up in the middle of the night when I heard my dog ​​barking. — I woke up in the middle of the night when I heard my dog ​​barking.

• When it comes to any particular night.

I had a fever in the night and had to take medicine. — At night I had a fever, and I had to take medicine. (here we are talking about a specific night, and not about the time of day in general)

2. When we talk about the beginning and end of a period: at the beginning (at the beginning), at the end (at the end).

Source: https://engblog.ru/prepositions-of-time

Prepositions of time in English — in, on, at (for beginners, part 1)

We have already studied the English prepositions of the place in, on, at and now it is time to find out that these same prepositions can be used when we talk about time. Here are the simple rules how to use prepositions of tense in, on, at in English. Their basic principle of use is shown in the table below. However, to remember how it works, you need to run exercises for prepositionswhich you will find in this tutorial. The answers are attached.

Prepositions of time in English in, on, at (for beginners)

I. Pretext in + [length of time]:

in the morning — in the afternoon — in the afternoon

in the evening — in the evening

Exceptions:

1.on that morning — that morning 2.on Friday morning — Friday morning

3.on the morning of the 22d of June

II. Pretext at + exact time (time):

at 5 o’clock — at five o’clock

Exceptions:

1.at night — at night 2.at the beginning of spring — early spring

3.at the end of autumn — at the end of autumn

III. Pretext on + day of the week:

1. on Monday — on Monday
2. on Tuesday — on Tuesday
3. on Wednesday — Wednesday
4. on Thursday — Thursday
5. on Friday — on Friday
6. on Saturday — on Saturday
7. on Sunday — on Sunday

Exception: at (on) the weekends — at the weekend 

* * *

This is general rule for using prepositions of tense in, on, at in English. Based on it, we get the following:

Pretext in also used with months, seasons and years, centuries

• in January — in January
• in winter — in winter
• in 2016 — in 2016
• in 21st century — in the 21st century

Pretext on it is also used with holidays, birthdays and dates, since these are days:

• On what day? — What day?
• on the 15th of March (date) — March 15
• on holiday — on holiday
• on Christmas Day (New Year’s Day) — on Christmas day, on New Year’s
• on my birthday — birthday
• on a weekday — on a weekday
• on working days — on working days
• on a day off — on a weekend
• on a winter day — on a winter day
• on the appointed day — on the appointed day

Pretext at also used with the words:

• at midnight (= 12 am)
• at noon (= 12 noon)
• at the moment — at the moment [/ orange]

* * *

Continue learn prepositions of time in English. Next, I suggest doing a few exercises.

Prepositions of time in English in, on, at (for beginners). Exercises

Exercise 1: Insert Time Prepositions in, on, at

* * *

Exercise 2. Translate into English.

10:31 noon, midnight, night, morning, that morning, afternoon, December, Monday, December 2012, Wednesday, Wednesday morning, 7, Tuesday, summer, 26:23, May , June XNUMX, Sunday evening, on vacation, at the moment, on a summer day, on a day off, on a birthday (XNUMX).

* * *

With words this — this, next — next and last — past no prepositions are used.
EXAMPLES

• this Monday — this Monday
• last week — last week
• next month — next month

Exception: at this moment

* * *

Exercise 3. Translate into English in writing.

1. At 5 o’clock, in the fall, on a hot day, at midnight, at night, in April, August 3, on weekends, on Fridays, on his birthday, in winter, last winter, on April 1, at 6 o’clock, in 1212, in summer , this summer, in the morning, in the morning, this morning, next night, at half past nine, last year, in the evening, last night (25).

2. June, winter day, spring, this spring, weekend, Wednesday, evening, 5 o’clock, noon, afternoon, 2000, Mondays, Monday night, August 2nd, last night, next year , next fall, this night, August, cold winter day, Monday, Tuesday morning, October, weekend, Thursday morning, last week, Sunday afternoon, tomorrow morning, evening. (30 )

* * *

Exercise 4. Translate into English using prepositions at, on, in, to.

To complete this exercise, you need to know simple tenses in English:

1. Last month my aunt didn’t go to work. She got up at ten o’clock and went to bed at midnight. She often went to the theater and to the cinema.

2. But this month she gets up at sunrise because she goes to work again. She works at our university. The academic year at the university begins in September and ends in May. In January and June, students take exams.

Aunt goes to university on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. She always works in the library on Monday. She usually drives out of town on Friday. She gets up at seven and goes to the station.

She spends the whole day outside the city and returns to the city at sunset.

3. Next week my aunt will travel to London and next year to New York.

* * *

ANSWERS

Answers are available only to users who have assisted the site.

Source: http://englishinn.ru/predlogi-vremeni-v-angliyskom-yazyike-in-on-at-dlya-nachinayushhih.html

English grammar: the prepositions In and At in the meaning of place

The use of prepositions in English is a topic that has driven generations of students and even teachers crazy. Especially when it comes to prepositions with similar meanings such as in and at.

Native speakers themselves often cannot explain why in some cases it is correct to speak inand in others at, but we have tried to collect a few basic rules here.

Using a preposition in

1. Before titles countries and cities, as well as with the very words «country» and «city».

i arrived in Russia last winter, but never stayed in Moscow
I arrived in Russia last winter but never stayed in Moscow

In my town, it was very boring
It was very boring in my city

! With the constructions I have (not) been used the preposition to: I’ve never been to Paris but always dreamt of going there — I’ve never been to Paris, but always dreamed of going there

2. Before premises, buildings and capacitiesthat contain someone or something:

My father is in the basement, my mother is in the kitchen, and I am in the bathroom
My father is in the basement, my mother is in the kitchen, and I’m in the bathroom.

I keep my socks in a yellow box
I keep my socks in a yellow box

There are old coins in that jar
There are old coins in that jug

In all examples, you can test yourself by replacing «in» with «inside» in translation, and then it becomes clearer.

! A room or capacity is not only something that is closed (has a roof). Park, garden, forest, parking — all these words will be used with the pretext inwhen it comes to something that is within a given territory.

3. After verbs of motion and state:

Jane enjoys running in the park
Jane enjoys jogging in the park

I am sick and I will stay in bed today
I’m sick and will stay in bed tonight

4. In idioms (just remember): to be in church, to be in court — in the meaning of «visit», while being directly inside is not necessary.

Using the preposition at

1. In the meaning of place it is used when it comes to a room (location) without specifying where a person or object is located.

I was sick yesterday and had to stay at home
I was sick yesterday and had to stay at home

We talk at home means «home», because there is no clarification about which particular room we are talking about. You can even be not in the room, but in the garden, on the balcony or on the roof. You can go down to the entrance to the mailbox or go out into the courtyard, but if at this time you call and ask «where are you?», You will say «I’m at home.»

John is at work, he is in his office
John is at work, he’s in his office

The first part of the sentence says “John is at work,” but does not say where exactly. This information is specified in the second part of the proposal.

2. In value «y»: I am at the entrance (I’m at the entrance)

3.With the names of open locations: at the crossroads, at the top of the hill

This preposition does not have a clearly expressed meaning inside, the name of the location can be used in a broad sense (including the territory around it).

Let’s meet at the library & Let’s meet in the library
Let’s meet у libraries & let’s meet в library

It can be concluded that when translated into Russian, the preposition in most often corresponds to the preposition «in», and at — other spatial prepositions (y, na, k). But don’t rely on this because:

We’ve arrived at the airport three hours before the flight
We arrived в airport three hours before the flight

! It is always used after arrive at, except for the names of cities and countries.

At school & in school

It happens that the same noun can use both prepositions, depending on what you want to say.

Example:
School is the name of a location with many rooms inside, so you need to say at school, if we are talking about staying there (or about some event taking place at the school):

We went to see a Christmas play at school
We went to see a Christmas play at school

But — if we use the word «school» in the meaning of «study» at school, college or university, then we need to choose the preposition in (again idiomatic usage):

He is already 30 and he is still in school!
He is already 30, and he is still studying!

That being said, there are slight differences between American and British English. UK residents are unlikely to say he is in school about a university student, and at school can be used in both meanings — to be directly at school, and to be a student in general.

______________

In this article, of course, we are not giving an absolutely complete explanation of the use of the two prepositions. The assimilation of such linguistic nuances ensures constant practice, study abroad, communication with native speakers, and reading texts in the original.

The next time you watch a movie or read an article in English, pay attention to the use of these prepositions and try to explain why the choice was made. in or at.

Source: https://www.ef.ru/blog/language/anglijskaja-grammatika-at-i-in/

Prepositions of time in English

The topic of prepositions in English is very important and, in general, one of the least difficult topics. Among the English prepositions there is a separate group of service words of this category that are used to express temporary relationships. However, it should be emphasized that not all prepositions included in this group are used solely to indicate a certain tense.

The preposition «AT «

The English preposition «AT» is used in speech to indicate certain points in time on the clock, at points in time intended for eating, at certain time points during the day, as well as at the time of any holidays. This preposition is also used if an indication is given to the end or the beginning of something, or if the phrase contains the word «time». Examples include the following uses of this preposition:

• at five o`clock am — at five o’clock in the morning
• at ten o`clock pm — at ten o’clock in the evening
• at midnight — at midnight
• at weekends — on weekends
• at dawn — at dawn
• at supper — at supper
• at nooning — for an afternoon snack
• at Easter — on the Easter holiday
• at Christmas — on the holiday of Christmas
• at a party — at a holiday, at a party
• at the end — at the end
• at the beginning — at the beginning
• at that dangerous time — at that terrible time
• at present — currently
• at the moment — at the present (given) moment in time

From the examples of phrases given with the preposition «AT» it is clearly seen that this official word is used in such cases when an indication is given to a certain (specific) time, a special (for example, a holiday) day, any completely specific moment in time …

The preposition «ON «

The specified preposition is used in situations where a specific day (for example, a week or a month), a specific date, or the time of day of a specific day is called.

• on Saturdays — on Saturdays
• on April 14th = on the 14th of April — the fourteenth of April
• on her birthday — on her birthday
• on Flower Day — on Flower Day
• on Monday afternoon — Monday afternoon
• on that afternoon — in the afternoon of that (specific) day

The preposition «IN «

If it is necessary to indicate an indefinite, any, non-specific and not distinguished in any way from the other day or another moment in time (as opposed to the situation with the use of the preposition «ON»), the service word «IN» is used. Examples include the following suggestions:

• Intheevening the pupils of the 1st form have to go to bed at 21.00 o`clock. — In the evenings, first grade students (first graders) must go to bed at 21.00.
• His house was built in 1978… — His house was built in 1978.
• Ray has already visited this planet in the 24st century… — Ray was already on this planet in the 24th century.
• My family will move about in the summer… — My family will move in the summer.
• In a few seconds my child disappeared. “After a few seconds, my child disappeared.

The preposition «IN» is also used in such cases when some event, action or phenomenon will take place after some time (after some time), for example:

• In four days our companies will conclude the contract. — In four days, our companies will conclude an agreement.

The preposition «IN» is also used in situations when it is about events, actions, etc. that take a certain period of time (but it is not meant that they were continuous), for example:

• InThatmonth John sold a lot of goods. — That month (during that month) John sold a lot of goods.

The preposition «FOR»

If some action continued continuously for a specific period of time, exactly fit into its framework, the preposition «FOR» will be used, for example:

• Mary has been waiting forthreeminutes… — Mary waited three minutes (was in a continuous process of waiting).

The preposition «SINCE»

If some action or process began at a specified moment in time and occurred for some time later, then the preposition «SINCE» is used, for example:

• It is three years ago since he began to study Spain. — It’s been three years since he started learning Spanish.

Prepositions «DURING» and «WHILE»

In cases where events or actions take place at the same time when another action is performed and do not go beyond it, the English preposition «DURING» is used. At the same time, it is necessary to clarify that this preposition is used only in combination with a noun (in other words, when the period is described by any noun). If the specified description is made using a subordinate clause, then another preposition is used — «WHILE», for example:

• During ng-conf in May XNUMX, the Angular team announced that they would be changing how Angular works under-the-hood: Ivy. Ivy is their new internal view rendering engine. It is the engine that uses your components and templates, and in the end, turns all the logic into instructions that run in the browser when you ship your finished Angular application. These instructions update the DOM, update the page, and so on.thelastLesson the pupils learned a new important rule. — During (during) the last lesson, the students learned a new important rule (here the conjunction is part of the prepositional group of a noun).
• Mark kept on waiting for his wife while she was gathering mushrooms with their children. — Mark continued to wait for his wife while (while) she was picking mushrooms with their children (here the union introduces a subordinate tense).

The preposition «BY»

In situations where it is necessary to make an indication of the fact that some event, phenomenon or action will occur earlier than the specified time or another event, action or phenomenon, the preposition «BY» is used. Consider the following examples:

• The children are expected to be back by 5 o`clock pm — Children are expected by five o’clock in the afternoon (here, using a preposition, an indication of a specific time is transmitted).
• By the time John had answered all the questions, his wife was far away from the conference room already. — At the time when John answered all the questions, his wife was already far from the conference room (here a temporary instruction is given for a specific event).

The preposition «UNTIL»

This preposition is used in situations where it is necessary to emphasize that some action or some process will last in time until a specifically named moment or until another event occurs, for example:

• Jeff will stay there until his doctor comes back from the hospital. “Jeff will stay there until his doctor returns from the hospital.

The absence of prepositions when indicating the time

If phrases are used in English that contain words such as «past», «previous» — «last»; «Future», next «-» next «; «This, that» — «this, that»; «Everyone is every» and some others, then such phrases are constructed in a non-sentence way (if they relate to time), that is, the prepositions «on», «at», «in» are omitted, for example:

• Your neighbor agreed to visit us Nextweek… — Your neighbor agreed to visit us (pay us a visit) next week.
• LastWednesday she decided to stay with her family in the country. — Last Wednesday, she decided to stay with her family out of town.

Source: https://online-teacher.ru/blog/predlogi-vremeni-english

Prepositions of place in, on, at in English

There are a lot of place prepositions in English, but the most multifunctional of them are in, on и at.

Use of the preposition «In»

in a room — in the room

in a box — in a box

There is an armchair in the corner. — Вa corner there is a chair.

• in a city, country or continent:

in London — in London

in the USA — in the USA

in Europe — in Europe

in the street — on the street

in Oxford Street — to Oxford Street

• in a pond (when we talk about swimming):

in a pool — in the pool

in a river — in the river

in the sea — at sea

What can you see in the picture? — What do you see on picture?

Who are these people in the photograph? — Who are these people on Photo?

I’ve read about the festival in this magazine. — I read about the festival в this magazine.

Peter is in bed. He is ill. — Peter в bed. He is sick.

• By car / taxi: in a car / in to taxi
• On the front / back seat of the car: in the front / in the back

I sat inthefront [of our car]. — I like to ride in the front seat [our car].

• With the following expressions:

In hospital — in the hospital:

John has broken his leg, so he is in hospital. — John broke his leg, so he в hospital.

In prison — in prison:

Alan has robbed a bank and he is in prison now. — Alan robbed a bank, and now he’s in jail.

Use of the preposition «On»

on a table — on table

on a sofa — on couch

on the left — left

on the right — right

• in public transport:

He goes to work on the train. — He commutes to work on train.

• by radio / TV / Internet

I’ve seen him on TV. — I saw him on TV.

I read the news on the Internet. — I read news on the Internet.

My mother is listening to a program on the radio. — My mom listens to the program on the radio.

We live on the 5th floor. — We live on sixth floor (Britain). We live on fifth floor (America).

There is a picture on the wall. — On the a picture hangs on the wall.

I sat on the floor. — I sat down on sex.

There is a dirty mark on the ceiling. — On the the ceiling is a dirty stain.

London in on the Thames. — London is worth on Thames.

Portsmouth is on the south coast of England. — Portsmouth is located on south coast of England.

 I met him onmy way home. — I met him on the way to home.

Buy everything that is on the list… — Buy everything вlist of.

There are really good dishes on the menu. — Вmenu there are very good dishes.

• On the front / back of letters, photographs, etc .: onthefront, ontheyou tested the restore function of your back

I wrote the date on the back of the photograph. — I wrote the date oninverseside Photo.

Use of the preposition «At»

• near some place:

I met her at the bus stop… — I met her onbusstop.

Turn left onto at the traffic lights / at the round about… — Believe left ontraffic light / circularmovement.

Please leave your key at the reception desk… — Please leave the key onrackRegistration..

There is a small shop at the corner of a street. — On thea corner there is a small shop.

* You can also use the preposition here on.

Please write your name at the top

Source: https://www.start2study.ru/english-grammar/prepositions-of-place/

Rules for using the English prepositions IN, ON and AT

Are you having difficulty with English prepositions? Don’t know the rules for their use? Let’s fix this serious problem. I want to say that you can figure out the use of prepositions in 5 minutes (if, of course, you really want to).

The problem of using prepositions for many is the most intractable. But, if you take the right approach to learning, then you can quickly understand where to use, for example, in, and where on. Prepositions don’t have to be complicated for those who have English as a second language. If you read a few tips described in this article, and start looking at the question of English prepositions from a slightly different angle, then everything will be much easier than it seemed before.

Consider the cases of using the prepositions AT, ON and IN in temporary situations and when referring to a place of action. This formula will work in 90% of the rays. It is not perfect and does not impress with its results, but it will definitely allow you to learn the basics of the language, which will give you a big boost.
Let’s take a look at the picture. Try to understand the general idea and scope. You should remember that both place and time change from the general to the specific.

Prepositions IN, ON and AT

1. Top (green), which is the largest and expresses generalized information (preposition IN)
2. Middle (orange), which is smaller and more specific (preposition ON)
3. The lower part (yellow) — the smallest and most specific (preposition AT)

Let’s now take a closer look at this picture and try to understand what is specific and what is general.

Prepositions of time

The upper part of the pyramid reflects large periods of time: centuries, decades (5 years), years, months. In this case, the preposition is used IN.
Examples:in the 20th century, in the 1980’s, in March, in the third week of April, in the future
Exceptions: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

The middle of the pyramid describes smaller time periods that are more specific: days or time periods that are shorter than 3 days. In this case, the preposition is used ON.
Examples: on my birthday, on Saturday, on the weekend (Amer.), On June 8th
Exceptions: on my lunch break, on time

The lower part of the pyramid — the smallest and most specific periods of time. In this case, the preposition is used AT.
Examples: at 9:00 PM, at lunch, at dinner, at the start of the party, at sunrise, at the start of the movie, at the moment
Exceptions: at night, at the weekend (UK)

Prepositions of place

Source: https://english-bird.ru/prepositions-in-on-at/

In the house but not at home. Prepositions of place in English in vs. at

The prepositions of place and space (in / around / near / on) in English can confuse even an advanced student. Sometimes the use of one or another preposition depends on the rules and linguistic logic, and sometimes you have to start from the context.

So, for example, there is a rule according to which categories such as school, university, college, church are used with the pretext ~ at, and cities, countries, parts of the world with the preposition ~ in.

Below are two suggestions, both of which are correct:

I study in Oxford.
I study at Oxford.

Oxford is a city. The question arises: why is the use of the preposition ~ at still correct? The point is that, implying at Oxfordwe’re talking about the University of Ohford. In oxford — tells about the education of the city of Oxford. The proposals, in turn, will have the following translation:

I study in the city of Oxford.
I am studying at the University of Oxford.

Consider the classic use cases for prepositions in / around / around / on.

Preposition in

In English, the use is accepted preposition~ in in the following cases:

* being inside any space, object (that is, the object is literally surrounded on all sides):

in the park / in the wood / in the street / in the table / in the bagin the kitchen / in the arm-chair / in the mirror

in the office

(meaning “in the building / premises”, not “at work”) There are many flowers in the office.
in the car / boat / bus
in the picture / in the photo (meaning “shown in the photograph”, since on the picture would mean “on the surface of a photograph” / There is a fly on the picture. — There is a fly in the photo).

* the combinations below are used without an article:

in bed — In the bed
hospital — in the hospital / She is in hospital.
in prison — in prison

* stay in a city / village / country / part of the world /

in London / in St. Petersburgin England / in the USAin the north / in the South of Australia

in the country

— outside the city (in the village)
in town / in the town — Are you in town? Let’s go for a walk.

The preposition at

For many, the problem is the use of preposition~ at… Nevertheless, there are a number of regularities, the study of which removes many questions. Let’s take a look at the classic categories.

* proximity of the object to the specified location:

at the wall / at the door / at the car — (to be) by the wall / by the door / by the car
at the corner / at the bus stop / at the table — at the corner / at the bus stop / at the table — Meet me at the corner of High Street. — Meet me at the corner of High Street.

at the top (of) / at the bottom (of) — on the top/ At the top of the world. — At the top of the world.

at the beginning (of) / at the end (of) — at the beginning of something / at the end of something / It is important to know that there is an option in the beginning / in the end, the translation of which has nothing to do with the location and means first / in the end.
In the end it doesn’t really matter. “In the end, it’s not very important.

* stay in any organization, place, at any event (here it is necessary to understand that we are not talking about staying in the building, but rather about the presence of any action):

at the swimming pool — in the pool (that is, I swim there)
at the theater / at the cinema / at the restaurant / at the museum / at the party / at the office / at the airport / at the hotel — in the theater (that is, I am at a play / at a movie show / have lunch in a restaurant / etc.)
at my friend’s house / at Paul’s (at Paul’s house / at Paul’s restaurant — depending on context)

* a category of words that means a state, occupation or action (used without an article):

at home / at school / at work / at church / at war / at table

* indication of the address with the house number

Come to my place at 132 Mulholland Dr. “Come to me at 132 Mulholland Drive.

We hope that now you will have no problem describing an object in space using these prepositions. Of course, there are many specific and contextual cases in English, but we will try to solve them together with you. We wish you success and interesting practice!

Victoria Tetkina

Source: http://begin-english.ru/article/in-the-house-but-not-at-home-predlogi-mesta-v-angliyskom-yazyke-in-vs-at/

Prepositions of place in English

This preposition in English can have the following meanings:

The at preposition is used to mark the place in the meaning: y, near, about.

She is standing at the window.
He stopped at the door

Before the names of small towns and sat down, answering the question «where?»

He was born (He was born: where?) At Klin (in Klin)

Remember the exception: the preposition “in«

Before the names of institutions and organizations, where any action or process takes place (answering the question: where?)

I’ll see him (I will live him: where?) At the theater (in the theater) to-night (tonight) He works (He works) at an office (in the office)

I’ll see him (I’ll see him: where?) At the lecture (at the lecture)

The at preposition is used to indicate time with the value «in» when specifying the point in time:

He left the house (He left the house) at noon (Noon)

Remember: in the English sentence the preposition at is used when specifying the moment of time and in those cases when the preposition «in» is absent in the corresponding Russian sentence.

I got up at nearly eight — I got up at about eight

The preposition in in English is used to denote a place with the meaning «in», answering the question «where?»

The pencil is in the box. Pencil in box
We live in Moscow. We live in Moscow

The preposition in is used:

• with the names of cities and villages;

The Hermitage is in Saint Petersburg. The Hermitage is located in St. Petersburg.
The National Gallery is in London. The National Gallery is located in London.

The Taj Mahal is in India. Taj Mahal is located in India.
Las Vegas is in the USA. Las Vegas is located in the United States.

• with the names of the continents;

The Pyramids are in Africa. The pyramids are in Africa.
The Niagara Falls are in North America. Niagara Falls are located in North America.

• with the names of regions and states;

Nice is in Provence. Nice is located in Provence.
Dallas is in Texas. Dallas is located in Texas.

The preposition on

You are already familiar with the preposition on and its meaning for conveying time — on Sunday. It should be remembered that many prepositions in the English language have more than one meaning. The preposition on can also mean location — «on»:

Where’s my mobile phone? — It’s on the table.
Where is my cell phone. — On the table.

Where’s our room? — It’s on the fifteenth floor.
Where is our number? — On the fifteenth floor.

Where’s your bicycle? — On the balcony.
Where is your bike? — On the balcony.

There are some pictures on the wall.
There are paintings on the wall.

Look, there are a lot of birds on the trees.
Look, there are many birds in the trees.

Other prepositions of place

You are already familiar with the preposition of place on «on»: on the table «on the table», on the wall «on the wall.» Now remember the other prepositions of place.

• near — about, at
• next to — near, near
• in the corner — in the corner
• in the middle — in the middle
• Against — y (leaning against something)
• for — under
• behind — per
• in front of — on the contrary, before

The table is near the window.
The table is by the window.

Next to the table is a lamp.
At the table / next to the table is a lamp.

The armchair is in the corner.
Chair (standing) in the corner.

The coffee table is in the middle.
The coffee table is in the middle.

The bookcase is against the wall.
The bookcase is against the wall.

The magazine is under the coffee table.
The magazine is under the table.

The plant is behind the arm chair.
Plant / indoor flower — behind the chair.

The sofa is in front of the door.
Sofa — opposite the door / in front of the door.

Source: http://www.grandars.ru/a/english/predlogi-mesta.html