{"id":51453,"date":"2024-07-24T16:09:11","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T14:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=51453"},"modified":"2024-08-14T16:45:23","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T14:45:23","slug":"in-on-and-at-dealing-with-tricky-prepositions-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/in-on-and-at-dealing-with-tricky-prepositions-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"In, On and At: Dealing with Tricky Prepositions in English"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Does this situation sound familiar? You\u2019re writing a message to a friend in English arranging to meet. As you start to suggest a time and place, you pause.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Is it <strong>in<\/strong>, <strong>on<\/strong> or <strong>at<\/strong> Monday?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">If yes, the good news is that you\u2019re not alone. Many students struggle with using <strong>in<\/strong>, <strong>at<\/strong> and <strong>on<\/strong>. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve written a guide to explain when to use these prepositions in English and how to avoid common mistakes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>The preposition \u2018in\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">You can use the preposition <strong>in<\/strong> to talk about:<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Enclosed spaces<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I live <strong>in<\/strong> a small apartment with my parents.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>The leftover pizza is <strong>in<\/strong> the fridge.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Put your card <strong>in<\/strong> your wallet before you lose it.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Defined areas<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>There\u2019s too much litter <strong>in<\/strong> the park.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Heat gets trapped <strong>in<\/strong> the <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>ozone layer<\/strong><\/span><\/em>.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Are there wolves living <strong>in<\/strong> the Alps?<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Large areas like cities and countries<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>John has been living <strong>in<\/strong> Lima for four years now.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>You can find the city of Sydney <strong>in<\/strong> Australia.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Which countries are <strong>in<\/strong> Europe?<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Defined time periods<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I am always very sleepy <strong>in<\/strong> the morning.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>You were born <strong>in<\/strong> August? I knew you were a Leo!<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Can you believe this house was built <strong>in<\/strong> 1800?<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Mini skirts were popular <strong>in<\/strong> the 1960s.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>There were many technological advances <strong>in<\/strong> the 20th century.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>The preposition \u2018on\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">You can use the preposition <strong>on<\/strong> to talk about:<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Days and dates<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i><strong>On<\/strong> Tuesday, we went to the cinema.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>The library book is due back <strong>on<\/strong> the 11th of March.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>We eat a lot of sweets <strong>on<\/strong> Halloween.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Surfaces<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>There is too much butter <strong>on<\/strong> these trays.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>He <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>proposed<\/strong><\/span><\/em> <strong>on<\/strong> top of the Empire State Building.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Neil Armstrong was the first man <strong>on<\/strong> the moon.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Public transport<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I must\u2019ve dropped my wallet when we got <strong>on<\/strong> the bus.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>My cousin accidentally got <strong>on<\/strong> the wrong plane once.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Twenty people got <strong>on<\/strong> the train at Nottingham.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Technology<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Is there anything good <strong>on<\/strong> television tonight?<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Let me show you the data I\u2019ve collected <strong>on<\/strong> my laptop.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I\u2019ve got the latest app <strong>on<\/strong> my smartphone.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>The preposition \u2018at\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">You can use the preposition <strong>at<\/strong> to talk about:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Specific times<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i><strong>At<\/strong> midday, we close the shop for half an hour.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>The party starts <strong>at<\/strong> 7 pm but feel free to arrive later.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Events<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I\u2019ll see you <strong>at<\/strong> Trevor\u2019s birthday party.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Everyone should be there <strong>at<\/strong> dinnertime.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>My sister\u2019s new husband will be there <strong>at<\/strong> Christmas.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Addresses<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Emily lives <strong>at<\/strong> 21 Magdalen Close.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>You can write to me <strong>at<\/strong> 90 Bakers Road, Grifton, UK.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #5e92b1;\"><strong>Specific places<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I\u2019ve been waiting <strong>at<\/strong> the bus stop for over 20 minutes.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>There\u2019s a new bookshop <strong>at<\/strong> the corner of Main Street and New Road.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Let\u2019s meet <strong>at<\/strong> the fountain in the city centre.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Laura has been <strong>at<\/strong> the dentist all morning.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>Phrasal verbs with \u2018in\u2019, \u2018on\u2019 and \u2018at\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">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:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>We all got <strong>in<\/strong> the car. (<em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>enclosed<\/strong><\/span><\/em> area)<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I love the sound of stepping <strong>on<\/strong> leaves. (Surface)<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Shall we stay at the same hotel? (Specific place)<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Other times, the prepositions in phrasal verbs are <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>random<\/strong><\/span><\/em> and you just have to learn the different verb preposition combinations. For example:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>I give <strong>in<\/strong>! Tell me the answer.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>My sister and brother don\u2019t get <strong>on<\/strong> very well.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>They worked <strong>at<\/strong> the project for months.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>Dependent prepositions<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Dependent prepositions are prepositions which follow a verb, noun or adjective. They don\u2019t change the meaning of the word as with phrasal verbs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">We often use \u2018in\u2019, \u2018on\u2019 and \u2018at\u2019 as dependent prepositions. For example:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Everyone participated <strong>in<\/strong> the charity event.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>Max is keen <strong>on<\/strong> kayaking.<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-circle'><\/i>The team had a chance <strong>at<\/strong> success.<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">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 \u2013 you don\u2019t have to learn lots of different combinations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>Common mistakes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Learners tend to make the same mistakes when using <strong>in<\/strong>, <strong>on<\/strong> and <strong>at<\/strong>. Understanding them can help you get it right the first time.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Common-Mistakes-Preposition.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Common-Mistakes-Preposition.jpg\" alt=\"Common Mistakes - Prepositions | In, on and at: Dealing with tricky prepositions in English\" width=\"745\" height=\"653\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-51454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Common-Mistakes-Preposition.jpg 745w, https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Common-Mistakes-Preposition-300x263.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">While you can practise prepositions, there are thousands of different use cases for them. That means you\u2019re <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>bound to<\/strong><\/span><\/em> make mistakes when using in, at and on in English.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">The trick is to stay positive. Making a mistake isn\u2019t a sign that you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Want to build your confidence with prepositions in English? <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/english-courses\/\">Book a lesson with Oxford House<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"devider element_size_>\"><div style=\"margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px; \" class=\"divider3\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Glossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>Ozone layer (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> the protective layer around the planet Earth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>Proposed (v):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> formally ask someone to marry you.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>Random (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> happening with no plan or pattern.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>Enclosed (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> surrounded on all sides.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>Bound to (pv):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> likely to happen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"devider element_size_>\"><div style=\"margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px; \" class=\"divider1\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><strong>Key<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">n = noun<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">pv = phrasal verb<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">adj = adjective<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does this situation sound familiar? You\u2019re 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\u2019re not alone. Many students struggle with using in, at and on. That\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":51460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[268],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51453"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51453"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51497,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51453\/revisions\/51497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51453"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=51453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}