Prepositions of Time

What Are Prepositions of Time?

Prepositions of time are words that show when something happens. They are used with nouns and pronouns to indicate the time of day, the day of the week, the month of the year, or a period of time.

The most common prepositions of time are:

• at
• in
• on
• For
• Since
• During
  
  

In

In is typically used to refer to longer periods of time, such as months, years, seasons, or centuries.

Here are some examples:

• I was born in July.
• They’ll return in a few days.
• The Great Wall of China was built in the 3rd century BC.
  
  

On

On is used to refer to specific days and dates.

Here are some examples:

• We have a meeting on Monday.
• Her birthday is on the 15th of November.
• The conference will take place on June 20th.
  
  

At

At is commonly used for specific times of the day, as well as holidays and festivals.

Here are some examples:

• We’ll meet at 3 o’clock.
• The party is at Christmas.
• I’m busy at the moment.
  
  

For

For is used to indicate the duration of an action or event. It answers the question “How long?”

Here are some examples:

• She studied for three hours.
• They’ve been friends for a decade.
• He worked overtime for a week.
  
  

Since

Since is used to specify the starting point of an action or event, often with a precise time or date.

Here are some examples:

• I’ve known her since 2010.
• They’ve been living in London since last summer.
• He’s been a vegetarian since he was a teenager.
  
  

During

During is used to describe when something happens within a specific time frame or event.

Here are some examples:

• We had a power outage during the storm.
• She remained calm during the interview.
• I read a book during my flight.
  
  

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t confuse “in” and “on” when specifying days or dates. Use “on” for specific days and “in” for months, seasons, or longer time frames.
• Avoid using “at” when discussing longer periods like months or years.
• Be cautious with “for” and “since.” “For” indicates a duration, while “since” marks the starting point of an action.
  
  

Prepositions of time are an important part of English grammar. By learning how to use them correctly, you can improve your communication skills and make your writing and speaking more clear and concise.

200+ Preposition of Time

• She arrives in five minutes.
• We’ll meet in July.
• The meeting is scheduled in the morning.
• The concert is happening in the evening.
• He was born in 1990.
• They have a vacation planned in winter.
• We have a meeting on Monday.
• Her birthday falls on July 15th.
• The conference is on June 20th.
• The workshop is on a rainy day.
• They celebrate Christmas on December 25th.
• We’ll meet at 3 o’clock.
• The party starts at midnight.
• I’m busy at the moment.
• The store opens at 9 AM.
• They have an appointment at noon.
• The class begins at 10:30 AM.
• She studied for three hours.
• They’ve been friends for a decade.
• He worked overtime for a week.
• We’ll be on vacation for a month.
• They’ve known each other for years.
• I’ve known her since 2010.
• They’ve been living in London since last summer.
• He’s been a vegetarian since he was a teenager.
• The company has been in business since 1995.
• She’s been studying English since she was a child.
• We had a power outage during the storm.
• She remained calm during the interview.
• I read a book during my flight.
• We should be careful during the rush hour.
• They met each other during the conference.
• The store is open until 9 PM.
• I’ll work on this project until it’s finished.
• The sale lasts until the end of the week.
• You can use the room until noon.
• We’ll wait here until they arrive.
• Please finish your homework before dinner.
• He had left before we arrived.
• She wants to solve the problem before it gets worse.
• The sunsets before 7 PM in winter.
• Make sure to check your email before the meeting.
• We’ll go for a walk after breakfast.
• He always takes a nap after lunch.
• She’ll call you after she finishes her work.
• They met each other after the conference.
• We’ll discuss the project after the presentation.
• They moved to the new house two years ago.
• She left the company a month ago.
• We met for the first time long ago.
• The book was published decades ago.
• He graduated from college years ago.
• The deadline for submissions is past.
• The train left ten minutes past the hour.
• We should put this issue behind us and move past it.
• It’s already half past six.
• We’ll meet at a quarter past nine.
• We have a meeting scheduled from two to three.
• The store is open from nine to five.
• They work from Monday to Friday.
• The event runs from noon to midnight.
• The conference is set for two to four.
• We’ll be away from June to August.
• She works from 9 AM to 5 PM.
• The exhibition is open from March to April.
• The shop operates from Monday to Saturday.
• The event will take place from 10 AM to 3 PM.
• Please finish the report by Friday.
• She’ll return the book by next week.
• We need to complete the project by the end of the month.
• He promised to fix the issue by tomorrow.
• The package should arrive by 5 PM.
• We’ll arrive around 8 PM.
• The event is scheduled around noon.
• She usually takes a break around 3 PM.
• The bus will come around 7:30.
• They meet for coffee around 9 AM.
• The meeting will start about 10 minutes from now.
• She’ll be back in about an hour.
• We should finish the presentation in about 30 minutes.
• The event is expected to last about three hours.
• He’ll be here in about two days.
• The conference will take place throughout the week.
• They’ve been traveling throughout the summer.
• The event will run throughout the year.
• The course covers various topics throughout the semester.
• She’s been busy with meetings throughout the day.
• We’ll finish the task within the hour.
• She’ll return within a few days.
• Please complete the form within the week.
• The package should arrive within a week.
• They’ll decide within the month.
• We have a break between classes.
• The meeting is scheduled between 2 PM and 4 PM.
• The event will take place between June and July.
• The office is closed between Christmas and New Year.
• They’ll arrive between 9 AM and 10 AM.
• Among the options, I prefer the first one.
• She stood out among the candidates.
• They found a valuable item among the clutter.
• The idea was buried among other suggestions.
• He was chosen from among many talented applicants.
• The restaurant is near the park.
• She lives near the city center.
• The deadline is near; we need to hurry.
• The exam is near; we should start studying.
• Their house is near the beach.
• The store is far from here.
• He lives far from the office.
• The deadline is not too far; we have time.
• The university is far from the town center.
• Their new house is far from their old one.
• The meeting has been scheduled a month forward.
• She’s planning for the year forward.
• They are thinking two steps forward.
• Please book the tickets a week forward.
• The project is moving a year forward.
• We need to move two steps backward.
• The timeline was pushed a month backward.
• They took a step backward in their plans.
• The company decided to go backward in technology.
• The project was delayed three weeks backward.
• We need to plan six months ahead.
• She likes to think two steps ahead.
• They prepared a year ahead.
• Please book the tickets three weeks ahead.
  
  

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