Does this situation sound familiar? You’re writing a message to a friend in English arranging to meet. As you start to suggest a time and place, you pause.

Is it in, on or at Monday?

If yes, the good news is that you’re not alone. Many students struggle with using in, at and on. That’s why we’ve written a guide to explain when to use these prepositions in English and how to avoid common mistakes.

 

The preposition ‘in’

 

You can use the preposition in to talk about:

Enclosed spaces

 

  • I live in a small apartment with my parents.

  • The leftover pizza is in the fridge.

  • Put your card in your wallet before you lose it.
    •
 

Defined areas

 

  • There’s too much litter in the park.

  • Heat gets trapped in the ozone layer.

  • Are there wolves living in the Alps?
    •
 

Large areas like cities and countries

 

  • John has been living in Lima for four years now.

  • You can find the city of Sydney in Australia.

  • Which countries are in Europe?
    •
 

Defined time periods

 

  • I am always very sleepy in the morning.

  • You were born in August? I knew you were a Leo!

  • Can you believe this house was built in 1800?

  • Mini skirts were popular in the 1960s.

  • There were many technological advances in the 20th century.
    •
 

The preposition ‘on’

 

You can use the preposition on to talk about:

Days and dates

 

  • On Tuesday, we went to the cinema.

  • The library book is due back on the 11th of March.

  • We eat a lot of sweets on Halloween.
    •
 

Surfaces

 

  • There is too much butter on these trays.

  • He proposed on top of the Empire State Building.

  • Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.
    •
 

Public transport

 

  • I must’ve dropped my wallet when we got on the bus.

  • My cousin accidentally got on the wrong plane once.

  • Twenty people got on the train at Nottingham.
    •
 

Technology

 

  • Is there anything good on television tonight?

  • Let me show you the data I’ve collected on my laptop.

  • I’ve got the latest app on my smartphone.
    •
 

The preposition ‘at’

 

You can use the preposition at to talk about:

 

Specific times

 

  • At midday, we close the shop for half an hour.

  • The party starts at 7 pm but feel free to arrive later.
    •
 

Events

 

  • I’ll see you at Trevor’s birthday party.

  • Everyone should be there at dinnertime.

  • My sister’s new husband will be there at Christmas.
    •
 

Addresses

 

  • Emily lives at 21 Magdalen Close.

  • You can write to me at 90 Bakers Road, Grifton, UK.
    •
 

Specific places

 

  • I’ve been waiting at the bus stop for over 20 minutes.

  • There’s a new bookshop at the corner of Main Street and New Road.

  • Let’s meet at the fountain in the city centre.

  • Laura has been at the dentist all morning.
    •
 

Phrasal verbs with ‘in’, ‘on’ and ‘at’

 

When you use a phrasal verb in English to describe a physical action, they often have the same meanings as prepositions of place. For example:

 

  • We all got in the car. (enclosed area)

  • I love the sound of stepping on leaves. (Surface)

  • Shall we stay at the same hotel? (Specific place)
    •
 

Other times, the prepositions in phrasal verbs are random and you just have to learn the different verb preposition combinations. For example:

 

  • I give in! Tell me the answer.

  • My sister and brother don’t get on very well.

  • They worked at the project for months.
    •
 

Dependent prepositions

 

Dependent prepositions are prepositions which follow a verb, noun or adjective. They don’t change the meaning of the word as with phrasal verbs.

We often use ‘in’, ‘on’ and ‘at’ as dependent prepositions. For example:

 

  • Everyone participated in the charity event.

  • Max is keen on kayaking.

  • The team had a chance at success.
    •
 

Unfortunately, there are no rules or patterns so you need to memorise all the dependent prepositions. The good news is that the same preposition always follows each word – you don’t have to learn lots of different combinations.

 

Common mistakes

 

Learners tend to make the same mistakes when using in, on and at. Understanding them can help you get it right the first time.

Common Mistakes - Prepositions | In, on and at: Dealing with tricky prepositions in English
 

Conclusion

 

While you can practise prepositions, there are thousands of different use cases for them. That means you’re bound to make mistakes when using in, at and on in English.

The trick is to stay positive. Making a mistake isn’t a sign that you’re not as proficient as you thought. The prepositions in, on and at are easy to confuse so even high-level students can mix them up.

Want to build your confidence with prepositions in English? Book a lesson with Oxford House.

Glossary for Language Learners

 

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Ozone layer (n): the protective layer around the planet Earth.

Proposed (v): formally ask someone to marry you.

Random (adj): happening with no plan or pattern.

Enclosed (adj): surrounded on all sides.

Bound to (pv): likely to happen.

Key

n = noun

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

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