Предлоги времени: at, on, in
Prepositions of time: at, on, in
Когда употреблять at, on и in перед часами, днями, датами, месяцами и более длинными периодами, а когда в английском предлог не нужен.
When you use it
Prepositions of time answer the question when. English uses three small words for almost everything: at for a point in time, on for a day, in for a longer period. The choice depends on the size of the time unit, not on the word after it. Ukrainian and Russian use в, у, на and о for the same jobs, but they divide the units differently, which is why in Monday and at 2024 are such common slips. Learn the three groups as three lists rather than translating one preposition at a time.
How it is formed
| Preposition | Used for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | clock times, meal times, night, the weekend (British), holiday periods | at six o'clock, at noon, at lunchtime, at night, at the weekend, at Christmas |
| on | days of the week, dates, one particular morning, afternoon or evening, special days | on Monday, on 14 March, on Friday evening, on my birthday, on New Year's Day |
| in | months, seasons, years, decades, centuries, parts of the day, the time it takes before something happens | in August, in winter, in 2024, in the 1990s, in the morning, in the evening, in ten minutes |
Notice that a part of the day takes in on its own (in the morning) but on when it belongs to a named day (on Monday morning). The day wins, because the day is the more specific unit. Night is the odd one out: at night for the general time, in the night only for a particular night when something happened.
A second rule matters as much as the first: some time expressions take no preposition at all.
| Expression | Correct | Not |
|---|---|---|
| next, last, this, every | next week, last year, this morning, every day | on next week, in last year |
| today, tomorrow, yesterday | I saw him yesterday. | on yesterday |
| all + period | all day, all night | in all day |
American speakers say on the weekend where British speakers say at the weekend; both are correct, and you will hear both. At Christmas means the holiday period; on Christmas Day means the single day.
Two time expressions in one sentence each keep their own preposition: at nine on Monday, in the morning on my birthday. A year alone takes in, but as soon as you add the day the whole date takes on: in 1999, on 1 January 1999. Dates written with numbers follow the same rule: on 5 September, on 05.09.
Examples
- The lesson starts at nine o'clock.
- Tom was born on 14 March.
- We usually go to the sea in August.
- Anna does not work at the weekend.
- I will call you back in twenty minutes.
- The shops are closed on Sunday morning.
- It gets dark early in winter.
- She sleeps badly at night.
Common mistakes
- ✗ I have a lesson in Monday.
✓ I have a lesson on Monday.
У понеділок and в понедельник use the same preposition as у серпні and в августе, so the two units feel the same. English gives days their own preposition, on, and keeps in for months and longer. - ✗ The shop opens in nine o'clock.
✓ The shop opens at nine o'clock.
О дев'ятій and в девять часов both point learners towards in or about. A clock time is a point, and points take at. - ✗ We are meeting on next week.
✓ We are meeting next week.
Наступного тижня and на следующей неделе need a preposition or a case ending. English drops the preposition completely after next, last, this and every. - ✗ She works in the night.
✓ She works at night.
Learners build in the night on the model of in the morning. The pattern is real but night is the exception: at night is the everyday form. - ✗ I will call you after ten minutes.
✓ I will call you in ten minutes.
Через десять хвилин and через десять минут translate literally as after, but English uses in for a period measured from now. After is for a point that follows another event: after lunch, after the meeting.
Try it
- The film starts ___ eight o'clock.
- My birthday is ___ June.
- We have English ___ Tuesday.
- Tom is going to Poland ___ next month. (on / in / no preposition)
- I do not like driving ___ night.