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What is Preposition?

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English Prepositions: "In," "On," and "At" | Grammarly

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The English prepositions in, on, and at are some of the most common words in our language, but they can easily get mixed up. Confusion can arise because not only are they all prepositions of place, but they're also all prepositions of time; being prepositions of both time and place can make these two-letter words difficult to use.

In this guide, we explain how to use in, on, and at. We discuss the rules for each as prepositions of both time and place and share some examples of in, on, and at sentences. Let's start with reviewing how English prepositions work in general.

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In English, prepositions are a type of word class that shows relationships between other words in a sentence. Prepositions can describe when something happened (" in the morning") or where something happened (" at the office"), as well as explain connections ("mother of three puppies") or give extra details ("a movie with subtitles").

Prepositions are always followed by a noun. This noun acts as the object of a preposition because it is what the preposition refers to. Combining the preposition and the object of the preposition creates a prepositional phrase, which also includes any adjectives or determiners the noun uses.

For example, the prepositional phrase "behind the tall tree" includes the preposition behind, the object of the preposition tree, the article the, and the adjective tall.

There are four types of prepositions:

What makes in, on, and at challenging is that they are prepositions of both time and place. That means each one has at least two different meanings, and all of those meanings can easily get mixed up. To make things more difficult, in, on, and at are not interchangeable -you have to learn all the usages for each to avoid confusing them.

English preposition: in

In: preposition of time

As a preposition of time, in is used with the following words and concepts:

instant and moment

seconds, minutes, and hours

amounts of days

months

seasons

years

groups of years (decades, centuries, etc.)

the past, present, and future

times of day: morning, afternoon, evening

night (specific time)

In: preposition of time examples

In: preposition of place

As a preposition of place, in is used with the following words and elements:

general locations

locations within large places like cities, countries, and continents

class

the sky and atmosphere

outer space

In: preposition of place examples

English preposition: on

On: preposition of time

As a preposition of time, on is used with the following words and concepts:

days of the week

times of day used with days of the week

yearly events like birthdays and holidays

specific dates

weekend (American English)

On: preposition of time examples

On: preposition of place

As a preposition of place, on is used for the following words and ideas:

things on the surface of something else (tables, walls, etc.)

locations near a body of water

mountains

floors of a building

corners

streets

planets

On: preposition of place examples

English preposition: at

At: preposition of time

As a preposition of time, at is used for:

At: preposition of time examples

At: preposition of place

As a preposition of place, at is used with these categories:

At: preposition of place examples

Don't use with next and a time

When using next as an adjective before a time, you can omit in, on, or at. The sentence will work without a preposition of time.

Don't use the last and a specific time

Similarly, you can also omit in, on, or at when using last as an adjective before a time period, as long as you are talking about a specific time.

We stayed home last night.

However, if you're using last with an unspecified time, you still need a preposition. Typically, if the phrase with last uses an article or other determiner, it is unspecific and should include in, on, or at.

at our last team breakfast

Keep in mind that the phrase "at last" acts as an adverb, so these rules for prepositions don't apply to it.
Last night, at our last meeting, we picked a group name at last!
What are English prepositions?

In English, prepositions are a type of word class that shows relationships between other words in a sentence. Prepositions can describe when something happened (" in the morning") or where something happened (" at the office"), as well as explain connections ("mother of three puppies") or give extra details ("a movie with subtitles").

What type of prepositions are in, on, and at?

The words in, on, and at are prepositions of both time and place. That means each one has at least two different meanings, and all of those meanings can easily get mixed up.

Can in, on, and at be used interchangeably?

The prepositions in, on, and at are not interchangeable. Each has its own rules and suggested usages. However, sometimes the same words or sentence can use different prepositions, although the meaning will change slightly.

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English Prepositions: "In," "On," and "At"

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The English prepositions in, on, and at are some of the most common words in our language, but they can easily get mixed up. Confusion...