Preposition of Time

Preposition of time

Preposition Meaning Example
During Within a period of time During our vacation, we visited many relatives across the country.
From … to … Indicating the beginning and the ending time I lived in Bandung from 1972 to 1978
In o part of the day
o month
o season
o year
o decades
o century • in the morning
• in February
• in summer
• in 1998
• in the 1980s
• in the 20th century
at o clock time
o night
o holiday periods • at 5 o’clock
• at night
• at the weekend
on o day of the week
o date
o particular day • on Saturday
• on the 20th May
• on New Year’s Day
• on my birthday
by before a certain time I had been there by 7 p.m.
since indicating the beginning of a time I have learnt English since 1970
for indicating duration of time I have slept for two hours



A. Complete these sentences using at, in, or on!

1. I’ll come around ________ six o’clock.
2. The war began ____________September 1939 and ended ________ 1945.
3. The program is ______ six o’clock _______ Saturday evening.
4. In Europe we have our weekend break Saturday and Sunday, but _____ the Middle East the weekend is _____ Thursday and Friday.
5. __________ New Year’s day, we usually go to our grandmother’s house.


B. Use the prepositions and adverbs in brackets to complete the following sentences!

1. I had to work _______ the summer holidays ________ the beginning of July.__________ the end of August (from/until/during)
2. We got married ________ 1970 so we have been married ________ more than twenty years now. (for/in)
3. I should have handed in my homework a week ________. My teacher isn’t very pleased. She says I must finish it _____ six o’clock ______ Monday at the latest. (by/on/ago)
4. The last time we went to England was _____ 1983, that’s nearly ten years ______. We haven’t been back ______then even though our friend have often invited us. (since/in/ago)
5. My parents lived in Liverpool ________ 1960 __________1975. ________1978, when I was born, they had moved to Birmingham. (by/until/from).

Answer Keys



1. At
2. In, in
3. At, on
4. In, on
5. On

1. During, from, until
2. In, for
3. Ago, by, on
4. In, ago, since
5. From, until, by