In, On, At (Time and Place): Explained in English

In, on, and at are the most common prepositions for time and place in English.

For TIME

IN (longer periods)

Months: in January, in March
Years: in 2024, in 1999
Seasons: in summer, in winter
Parts of day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
Note: NOT "in the night" — use at night

ON (days and dates)

Days: on Monday, on Friday
Dates: on March 15th, on New Year's Day
Special days: on my birthday, on Christmas Day

AT (specific times)

Clock times: at 3:00, at 7:30
Specific moments: at noon, at midnight
Fixed expressions: at night, at the weekend (UK), at Christmas (UK)

Quick Test for Time

General period (month/year) → IN
Specific day → ON
Exact time → AT

For PLACE

IN (enclosed spaces, areas)

Countries/Cities: in Japan, in Paris
Buildings: in the house, in the office
Containers: in the box, in my pocket
Large areas: in the garden, in the park

ON (surfaces, lines)

Surfaces: on the table, on the wall
Floors: on the second floor
Transportation: on the bus, on the train, on the plane
Streets: on Main Street, on Oxford Road

AT (specific points, locations)

Addresses: at 123 Main Street
Locations: at the bus stop, at the door
Places as points: at school, at work, at home
Events: at the concert, at the party

Quick Test for Place

Inside an enclosed space → IN
On a surface → ON
At a specific point/location → AT

Want to check prepositions in context? FreeTalk Dictionary shows real examples while you read online.

Examples by Level

Time:

A2: I wake up at 7:00 in the morning.
A2: My birthday is on June 15th.
B1: I started working here in 2020 on a Monday.
B1: The meeting is at 3:00 on Friday afternoon.

Place:

A2: The book is on the table in the living room.
A2: I live in Tokyo at 123 Shibuya Street.
B1: We met at the café on the corner in the city center.
B2: I'll see you at the conference on Monday in New York.

Special Cases

Transportation:

IN for cars: in the car, in a taxi
ON for public transport: on the bus, on the train, on the plane

At home vs. In the house:

at home = the concept of being home
in the house = physically inside the building

Arrive:

arrive in a city/country
arrive at a specific place
arrive on time (fixed expression)

Common Mistakes

❌ I'll see you on 3:00.
✅ I'll see you at 3:00.

❌ My birthday is in March 15th.
✅ My birthday is on March 15th.

❌ She's at the office building. (if you mean inside)
✅ She's in the office building.

❌ I'm on the car.
✅ I'm in the car.

FAQs

Q: "In the weekend" or "at the weekend"?
A: "At the weekend" (British English). "On the weekend" (American English).

Q: "In the morning" but "at night" — why?
A: Fixed expressions. English isn't always logical. Learn these as phrases.

Q: "At school" vs. "in school" vs. "in the school"?
A: "At school" = being there as a student. "In school" (US) = currently a student. "In the school" = physically inside the building.

Q: How do I remember all of these?
A: Practice with real sentences. Think: IN = inside/longer period, ON = surface/day, AT = point/time.