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Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade: in and on with months, dates and years

Students learn in and on with dates, months and years in this A1 ESL lesson plan, which follows Pasadena's Rose Parade on New Year's Day.

Grammar
In with months, seasons and years (in January, in winter, in 1890), on with dates and special days (on January 1st, on New Year's Day), and at with clock times.
Topic
The Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year's Day, never on a Sunday, with words such as float, petal, marching band and season.
Activities
Questions and answers about the parade, a dialogue in front of the TV, self-checking drills, a chat about a festival, open-box questions and a post to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, parade!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: a parade in winterVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: the Rose Parade

    • Look at the photo: the Rose ParadePictureUnlock
    • Read the questions and answersReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: a parade on TV

    • Listen to Olivia and LiamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: in winter, on New Year's Day

    • Study the scheme: in, on, atGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: in, on, atDrag and dropTry it
    • Fill in the gaps: in, on or at + the timeFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: festivals in your town

    • Choose the right replies: a festival in your townChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a post: a parade or a festival I likeWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record yourself: my yearSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

22 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • float
  • marching band
  • horse
  • petal
  • New Year's Day
  • winter
  • season

Grammar: in, on and at for dates and times

A parade held in January, on January 1st, at 8 a.m., and never on a Sunday puts all three prepositions of time into one sentence. Learners match each kind of time to its preposition: in for a month, a season, a year or a part of the day, on for a day, a date or a special day, and at for a clock time.

When? in January, on January 1st, at 8 a.m.

Say when things happen: in + a month, a season or a year; on + a day or a date; at + a clock time.

In for months, on for dates, at for times

In goes with a month, a season, a year or a part of the day: in January, in winter, in 1890. On goes with a day, a date or a special day: on Monday, on January 1st, on my birthday. At stays with clock times: at 8 a.m., at noon.

in + month, season, year, part of the day

  • in January
  • in winter
  • in 1890
  • in 2023
  • in the morning
  • in the evening

on + day, date, special day

  • on Monday
  • on January 1st
  • on Monday, January 2nd
  • on New Year's Day
  • on my birthday
  • on the weekend

at + a time

  • at 8 a.m.
  • at eight o'clock
  • at noon
  • at midnight

In January, but on January 1st

A month alone takes in, but add a day and it takes on: in January, on January 1st. Holidays work like dates (on New Year's Day), and years like months: in 1893.

A month: in. A date: on!

A month alone: in January. A month + a day (a date): on January 1st. A special day: on New Year's Day, on my birthday. A year: in 1893. A season: in winter.

In the morning, at night, on Sunday morning

Three parts of the day take in the: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, while night takes at. A day in front changes it to on: on Sunday morning.

in the morning, at night

in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, but at night. A day + morning: on Sunday morning.

When is it? What time does it start?

When…? can take any of the three: When is the Rose Parade? It's on January 1st. When is the first parade? In 1890. For the clock, ask What time…? and answer with at: What time does it start? At 8 a.m.

QuestionAnswer
When is the Rose Parade?It's in January, in winter. It's on January 1st.
What time does it start?At 8 a.m.
When is the first parade?In 1890.
When is the parade in 1893?On Monday, January 2nd.
What do you do on New Year's Day?I watch the parade in the morning.

Common mistakes

  • The parade is in January 1st.

    The parade is on January 1st.

    a date: on

  • The parade is on January.

    The parade is in January.

    a month alone: in

  • It's cold at winter.

    It's cold in winter.

    a season: in

  • We watch it in New Year's Day.

    We watch it on New Year's Day.

    a special day: on

More lessons on this grammar: Prepositions lessons and exercises

Try the in and on exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 10 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 2 pictures
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • use in with months, seasons and years: in January, in winter, in 1890
  • use on with days, dates and special days: on Monday, January 2nd, on New Year's Day
  • tell a month from a date: in January, but on January 1st
  • say when an event is and what time it starts: It's on July 15th. It starts at 4 p.m.

Lesson 14 is the second lesson of Celebrations, the fourth unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It adds to two lessons of English A1.1 · Hello, World: lesson 22, with on + a day and at + a time, and lesson 23, with in the morning and at night; its dates are said with ordinals, as in lesson 13. A parade that is on January 1st unless that's a Sunday can't be explained without in and on.

A spin wheel about favorite months and seasons comes first, then ten words, from march to season, with pictures and audio. Students read questions and answers about the Rose Parade, from flowers in winter to the never-on-a-Sunday rule, and answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. Olivia and Liam watch the parade on TV on New Year's morning (an AI-voiced dialogue). The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises, each checked as students answer, from a drag-and-drop of in, on and at to a gap-fill that puts the right word before a time. In the speaking chapter, students tell Olivia about a festival in their town, then open boxes, two of which ask them to design a float or plan a parade.

The homework puts parade sentences in order and matches words to their meanings, and both tasks are checked automatically. Students then write a post about a parade or festival they like and record a message about their year, which the teacher reviews.

Grammar:
in + month, season, year · on + date, special day · at + clock time · in the morning · on the weekend
Topic:
the Rose Parade · parades · New Year's Day · holidays · months and seasons

Teaching tips

  • Sort time words into three columns headed in, on and at: call out winter, my birthday, noon or 1893, and students say where each one goes.
  • Ask the poster's question before reading: why would a parade never be on a Sunday? Students guess, then read the answer about the horses outside the churches.
  • Hold up a calendar page for January: point at the whole month for in January, then at one square for on January 1st, so students see the difference.
  • Let pairs plan their own parade from the open box: they agree on a month, a date and a start time, then present it with in, on and at.

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The whole course: English A1.2 · Out and About

32 lessons that pick up where English A1.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present simple with he and she to was and were. Eight units cover shopping, the weather, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Shopping

    clothes and colors, he and she in the present simple, sizes and prices, paying in a store

    1. Lesson 1What does she wear on Aloha Friday?Present simple with he, she and it
    2. Lesson 2A basket on wheels?Present simple negatives with don't and doesn't
    3. Lesson 3What size are these boots?What questions and a pair of
    4. Lesson 4Can I try it on? The Santa Fe Indian MarketRequests and permission with Can I and Can you

  2. Unit 2 Weather and seasons

    the weather, seasons and months, the present continuous, how often it rains or snows

    1. Lesson 5Is the Windy City windy?Weather adjectives with It's
    2. Lesson 6Does it rain in the desert?Yes/no questions with does
    3. Lesson 7Baseball at midnight?The present continuous for now
    4. Lesson 8Is it always windy on Mount Washington?Adverbs of frequency and their place

  3. Unit 3 Getting around

    transport, timetables, where places are, tickets with want and need

    1. Lesson 9How do you get to work?By + transport, take the bus and on foot
    2. Lesson 10What time does the ferry leave?Wh- questions with does
    3. Lesson 11Where's the streetcar stop?Between, behind, in front of and across from
    4. Lesson 12Do you need a ticket?Want and need with a noun

  4. Unit 4 Celebrations

    dates and holidays, in and on, party invitations, object pronouns

    1. Lesson 13Why is it called Juneteenth?Ordinal numbers for saying dates
    2. Lesson 14 · you're hereNever on a Sunday? The Rose ParadeIn, on and at for dates and times
    3. Lesson 15Come to our Lunar New Year party!Some and any with plural nouns
    4. Lesson 16Thank you, teacher!Object pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them

  5. Unit 5 Healthy me

    the body, how often, at the pharmacy, steps with first and then

    1. Lesson 17Does your back hurt?Hurt and hurts with parts of the body
    2. Lesson 18How often do you walk?How often questions and expressions of frequency
    3. Lesson 19What's the matter?Have and has for health problems
    4. Lesson 20Clean hands in five stepsSequence words with imperatives

  6. Unit 6 Animals and nature

    there is and there are, what animals are doing, parks, a, an and the

    1. Lesson 21Which frog sings its name?There is and there are for what's in a place
    2. Lesson 22What's the bear doing now?Present continuous questions and negatives
    3. Lesson 23Are there any horses on the beach?Questions with is there and are there any
    4. Lesson 24Where do the baby turtles go?A, an and the for first and second mention

  7. Unit 7 Jobs people do

    jobs and workplaces, the present simple and continuous, job interviews, possessive pronouns

    1. Lesson 25Who makes the sounds in movies?Present simple vs present continuous
    2. Lesson 26Nurses on horses?At, in and on with workplaces
    3. Lesson 27Can you be a lifeguard?Verbs with prepositions
    4. Lesson 28Whose hat is this?Possessive pronouns from mine to theirs

  8. Unit 8 Weekend stories and plans

    was and were, how long and how tall, and, but and or, camping food

    1. Lesson 29Why do we have two days off?Was and were, the past of be
    2. Lesson 30How long is a blue whale?How + adjective questions about size
    3. Lesson 31A cow made of butter?And, but and or for joining ideas
    4. Lesson 32What do you need for s'mores?Containers and quantities with of

Questions about this lesson

When do you use in, on and at?
For time, in goes with months, seasons and years, on with days and dates, and at with clock times. So it's in winter and in 1890, but on Monday and on January 1st, and at noon. One sentence can need all three: The Rose Parade is in January, on New Year's Day, at 8 a.m.
What are the prepositions of time in English?
The basic prepositions of time are in, on and at: they say when something happens. Each fits one kind of time: in 1893, on Monday, January 2nd, at eight o'clock. A When…? question often gets one as its first word: When is the first parade? In 1890. The questions and answers in Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, use all three.
When do you use in or on with time?
Use in for months, seasons, years and parts of the day, and on for days, dates and special days: in May, in the morning, but on Monday, on my birthday. When a day comes before a part of the day, on wins: on Sunday morning, not in Sunday morning. Clock times take neither of the two: at 4 p.m.
Is it "in January" or "on January"?
It's in January, because a month alone takes in. Add a day and it becomes a date, which takes on: on January 1st. So The parade is in January and The parade is on January 1st are both right, while on January and in January 1st are both wrong. Both slips head the common mistakes in the edio.ai lesson Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade.
How do you remember at, on and in for time?
Go from the longest time to the shortest: in for long stretches like months, seasons and years, on for a single day, and at for a moment on the clock. That gives in 2023 and in winter, on Monday, January 2nd, and at 8 a.m. A few phrases break the pattern and simply need learning, such as in the morning, at night and, in American English, on the weekend.
Is it "on the weekend" or "at the weekend"?
In American English, it's on the weekend, like on Saturday; British English often says at the weekend. What do you do on the weekend? Both are correct where they're used, but a class in US English should stick to on. The chat in Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, asks Is it on the weekend? about a festival.
Is it "on New Year's Day" or "in New Year's Day"?
It's on New Year's Day: holidays and special days take on, just like dates. Schools are closed on New Year's Day. We have a big party on my birthday. Thanksgiving is on a Thursday. Only the longer time around a holiday takes in: New Year's Day is in January, in winter.
What words do you need to talk about a parade?
To talk about a parade, you need words for what moves down the street: float, marching band and horse, plus the verbs march and decorate. A float is a big, colorful car in a parade, and a petal is one colorful part of a flower. Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade on edio.ai teaches these words with pictures and audio.
How do I teach in, on and at to beginners?
Anchor all three in one real event, with its month, its date and its start time: in January, on January 1st, at 8 a.m. Then contrast in January with on January 1st before any drill. The edio.ai lesson Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade opens with the parade's questions and answers and a TV dialogue, then has the scheme, four drills and a festival chat.
What's a good game for practicing in, on and at?
A good one is planning a parade in pairs: partners agree when it is and what time it starts, then present it with in, on and at. Another box asks pairs to make a float: What animal is it? What colors? How do you decorate it? Both are open boxes in this lesson, next to questions like What do you do on New Year's Day?
What's good homework for practicing in, on and at?
Good homework is a post about a favorite parade or festival, since saying when it happens needs all three: It's in winter, on January 1st. It starts at 8 a.m. In the A1 lesson Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade on edio.ai, students first put sentences in order and match parade words, both self-checking; then they write the post and record a message about their year for the teacher.
Are there interactive exercises for in, on and at?
Yes: drag-and-drop gaps and chats that check each choice give instant feedback on in, on and at. Four parts of Never on a Sunday? The Rose Parade, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, play on this page without an account: the parade's questions and answers, Olivia and Liam's dialogue, a drag-and-drop of prepositions (My birthday is in May.) and a chat about a festival. The other drills are locked.
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