Understanding what prepositions are, and when to use them.
Prepositions are about connecting, and they are used mainly to prompt or specify detail or information.
At
You can use ‘at’ to relate to the time, for example..
What time will you arrive?
I’ll be there at 5pm.
It works for specific, structural places too…
Where were you yesterday ?
I was at the library.
Further examples of structured places include: restuarant, university, a friend’s house.
Around
‘Around’is used when the information is less specific. So if you are unsure of an exact time, you could say…
I will arrive around 5pm.
He lives around that area.
On
Used for literal speaking, when the subject is physically on something, this can apply for other landscapes that are bigger and/or less specific.
I was on a mountain.
The whiteboard is fixed on the wall
‘On’ can also be used with the date…
I got married on the 25th June, 1980
I was born on a Friday
And before mentioning a holiday…
We usually have dinner with the family on Christmas Day.
In
‘In’, similar to ‘on’,is used mainly in a literal sense, so…
She’s in the kitchen
I’m inside the academy
There is coffee in the cup
Whether you are talking about country, city, county or region, ‘in’ is always the preposition to use…
I was born in the United Kingdom
I’m on vacation in Canada
Now, for further practice, try to guess the correct answers below…
I was born in/at/on London.
I will arrive in/at/on 8.30am.
I will be in/at/on England in/at/on March 4th
In/at/on summer, in/at/on July, I often visit foreign countries.
Answers: in, at, in, on, in, in.