In, on, at: times, days and months – in, on, at exercises for A1 students

Q: What are prepositions of time?

Prepositions of time are the small words that tell when : at 7:30 , on Monday , in June . At A1, the main three are at , on and in , and the time word decides which one you need. Some time words, like next week or tomorrow , take none. The A1 drill lesson In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai practices them in 45 self-checking exercises.

Q: What's the rule for in, on and at with time?

Use at for clock times and for noon , midnight and night ; on for days, dates, special days and the weekend ; and in for months, years, seasons and parts of the day: at 6:30 , on Friday , on October 31 , in July , in the evening . The scheme of In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai sets this out in one table, with examples in every row.

Q: What's the difference between in the morning and on Monday morning?

In the morning is the general phrase, and naming a day switches it to on : I take a shower in the morning , but We have a spelling test on Monday morning. With this , every or tomorrow , there's no preposition: this morning . Night works its own way: at night , on Saturday night , tonight . A table in In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai sets the three side by side.

Q: Is it “in the weekend” or “on the weekend”?

It's on the weekend in American English, the variety the lesson teaches, and in the weekend is a typical learner mistake . British English says at the weekend , which is also correct. The plural works the same way: on weekends . In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai drills on the weekend and never offers at the weekend as a wrong answer.

Q: When do you use no preposition with time words?

Leave it out before every, this and next , and before today , tonight and tomorrow : The pool opens next week. Is the library open today? Learners often add one anyway, as in on next Monday or in this morning . In In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai, these items show whole phrases, so the phrase with no preposition is a real choice: next week , on next week or in next week .

Q: Are there interactive prepositions of time exercises?

Yes. Without an account, this page plays five parts of In, on, at: times, days and months , an A1 drill lesson on edio.ai: a sort into in , on and at ; a choice of at, in or on with times of the day; gaps with days, dates and months; a match of phrases that mean the same; and a chat at a community center's front desk. The other exercises and the homework open with an account.

Q: How do I teach prepositions of time to A1 students?

Take one preposition per step , from at with clock times to on with days and in with months, then mix them and add the time words that take none. In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai is built that way: a chapter for at , one for on , one for in and next week , then a community center schedule full of all three.

Q: What's a good game for practicing in, on and at?

Try preposition slap : put three cards on a table, at , on and in , call out a time word such as midnight , Friday or the fall , and the first student to slap the right card keeps it. In the homework of In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai, a memory game pairs each mistake, like in Monday , with its correction.

Q: What are good in, on, at exercises for homework?

The best ones mix all three with the no-preposition words in new sentences, so students can't guess from a chapter title. All 15 homework tasks in In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai check themselves: choices, gaps, sorts, a table with this , quizzes and word order, plus a postcard from Chicago, a pizza ad and a student's post about her busy week.

Q: How do you practice prepositions of time one-to-one?

Plan a week together : the student says when they work, study and rest, on Mondays , at 8:00 , in the evening , and the teacher asks follow-up questions with next and this . The front-desk chat in In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai needs no partner: the student signs up for a yoga class, and each wrong reply has a preposition mistake.

This A1 drill lesson gives prepositions of time exercises on at 7:30, on Monday and in June, and on time words like next week that take no preposition.

Grammar: At + clock times, noon and night; on + days, dates and the weekend; in + months, years, seasons and the morning; nothing before every, this, next, tomorrow or tonight.
Topic: Bluebird Community Center, an invented center in Phoenix: its class schedule, a teen and his grandpa picking classes, the manager's notice and a note for the fridge.
Activities: Sorts, choices, gap-fills, an invitation and an email with gaps, word order, matching, find-the-mistake quizzes, a chat at the front desk and a final test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: in, on, at for timeGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the words: in, on or at?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose in, on or atChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the right prepositionFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2At 9:00, at noon, at night
- Sort the phrases: right or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose at, in or on: times of the dayChoose the optionTry it
- Write the time with at or inFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read about Mia's day and drag at or in into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: at + a timeUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
Chapter 3On Monday, on May 5, on the weekend
- Sort the time words: on or in?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose on, in or at: days, dates and monthsChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: days, dates and monthsFill in the gapsTry it
- Read Emily's invitation and drag on, in or at into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: days and datesUnjumbleUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: special daysMatchUnlock
- Find the mistake: days and datesQuizUnlock
Chapter 4In June, in the morning, next week
- Choose in, on or at: when is it?Choose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: parts of the dayFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the time words: in / on / at or no preposition?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right time phraseChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the phrases with the same meaningMatchTry it
- Choose the correct sentence: preposition or not?QuizUnlock
- Read Emma's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Classes at the community center
- Read the class scheduleReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the schedule again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Ryan's messages with Grandpa Joe and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Ms. Alvarez's notice and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Ryan's note for Grandpa and drag on, in or at into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: at the front deskChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose in, on or at: a busy weekChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: holidays and seasonsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the time words into three groups: in, on, atSort into columnsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right words: in, on, at or no preposition?Choose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the table: with in, on or at and with thisFill in the tableUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: when does it happen?MatchUnlock
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or false: dates and daysTrue or falseUnlock
- Read Laura's postcard and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: mistake and correctionMemory gameUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read the ad and drag in, on or at into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: sentences about timeUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: a busy yearQuizUnlock
- Read Nina's post and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock

Grammar: prepositions of time: in, on and at

Prepositions of time tell when something happens: at 7:30, on Monday, in June. The time word after it decides the preposition, and a small group of time words takes none at all. Learners sort times, days and months, handle mornings and nights, and leave the preposition out before next, this and every.

In, on, at: times, days and months

Say when something happens: at 7:30, on Monday, in June.

At, on or in? Times, days, months

At goes with clock times and with noon, midnight, night and lunchtime. On goes with days, dates and special days: on May 5, on my birthday. In covers months, years and seasons: in December, in 1995, in the fall.

in / on / at + a time

at / on / ina time

The game starts at 6:30.

The concert is on Saturday.

We visit Grandma in July.

At, on or in?

Preposition	Use it with	Examples
at	clock times	at 7:30 · at 9:00 a.m. · at 6:15
at	noon, midnight, night, lunchtime	at noon · at midnight · at night · at lunchtime
on	days	on Monday · on Mondays (= every Monday) · on Friday night
on	dates	on May 5 · on October 31
on	special days	on my birthday · on Thanksgiving · on New Year's Day
on	the weekend (American English)	on the weekend · on weekends
in	months	in June · in December
in	years	in 2026 · in 1995
in	seasons	in the summer · in (the) winter · in the fall
in	parts of the day	in the morning · in the afternoon · in the evening (but: at night)
— (no preposition)	every, this, next, today, tonight, tomorrow	every Monday · this morning · next week · tomorrow

In the morning, on Monday morning, at night

Parts of the day take in the: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. Night is the odd one: at night. Name a day, and any part of it takes on: on Monday morning, on Friday afternoon, on Saturday night.

In general	One day of the week	No preposition
in the morning	on Monday morning	this morning · every morning · tomorrow morning
in the afternoon	on Friday afternoon	this afternoon · tomorrow afternoon
in the evening	on Sunday evening	this evening · every evening
at night	on Saturday night	tonight · every night

No preposition: every, this, next, tonight

Every, this, next, today, tonight and tomorrow take no preposition: I swim every Monday. The test is next week. Adding one is a classic slip: not on next Monday, in this morning or at tonight.

No preposition

No in / on / at before every, this, next, today, tonight, tomorrow: I swim every Monday. The test is next week. I'm tired this morning. (Not: on next Monday, in this morning, at tonight.)

Common mistakes and the weekend

The scheme's mistakes are in Monday, at the morning, at July and on next Saturday; its traps add at Monday morning, at 2026, on summer and in 7 o'clock. Americans say on the weekend, not in the weekend.

Common mistakes

See you in Monday!
See you on Monday!
days and dates: on
I run at the morning.
I run in the morning.
in the morning, but at night
My birthday is at July.
My birthday is in July.
months, years, seasons: in
The party is on next Saturday.
The party is next Saturday.
no preposition before next, this, every

More traps

on the weekend (not: in the weekend): Americans say on the weekend. at night (not: on the night). on Monday morning (not: at Monday morning). in 2026 (not: at 2026). in the summer (not: on summer). at 7 o'clock (not: in 7 o'clock).

Examples

The bus comes at 7:45 in the morning.a clock time + a part of the day
I don't work on Sundays.on Sundays = every Sunday
Her birthday is on April 2.a date
We go camping in the fall.a season
I sleep eight hours at night.in the evening, but at night
See you next week!no preposition

More lessons on this grammar: Prepositions lessons and exercises

Try the prepositions of time exercises

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

What's in the lesson

40 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

use at with clock times and with noon, midnight and night: The movie starts at 8:15.
use on with days, dates and special days: on Thursday, on August 20, on Thanksgiving Day, on the weekend
use in with months, years, seasons and parts of the day: in September, in 2027, in the fall, in the evening
tell in the morning from on Monday morning, and at night from on Saturday night
leave out the preposition before next, this, every, tomorrow and tonight: I start my new job next Monday.

In, on, at: times, days and months is lesson 12 of 24 in English Grammar Practice · A1, listed on the prepositions page. Lesson 11, Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never, comes just before it, and lesson 13, Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to, uses the same three small words for place. Since it introduces no fresh vocabulary, a teacher can slot it in beside any course book when time phrases need work.

The rule has the scheme and four quick drills, from true or false to a sort into in, on and at. The drill chapters move from At 9:00, at noon, at night to On Monday, on May 5, on the weekend and In June, in the morning, next week, with Mia's night shift, Emily's party invitation and Emma's email to her aunt. The real-life chapter is the class schedule of Bluebird Community Center: students check it, fill in Ryan's messages with Grandpa Joe, choose words in the manager's notice, complete a fridge note, sign up for yoga in a front-desk chat and take a final test.

The homework tasks, all self-checking, carry the same choices into new sentences: a busy week, holidays and seasons, a three-way sort, questions to order, phrases with and without a preposition, a table with this, a match, true or false, a memory game of mistakes and corrections, two quizzes and more word order, plus Laura's postcard from Chicago, a pizza place's ad and Nina's post about her week.

Grammar:: prepositions of time · in / on / at · time expressions · no preposition: this, next, every
Topic:: grammar practice · time and dates · daily routine · community center

Teaching tips

Build a three-column chart with the class before the scheme: at, on, in. Students call out times from their own lives, my birthday, 7:00, the summer, and say which column each one goes in.
Contrast three mornings on the board: in the morning, on Monday morning, this morning. Students make one true sentence with each, then do the same with at night, on Saturday night and tonight.
Read the schedule as a quiz before the true or false items: one student names a class, and the others say when it is, with the right preposition: Salsa? On Friday nights at 8:00.
Teach on the weekend, accept at the weekend: the lesson uses the American form, but students who learned British English may say at the weekend, which is correct there. Only in the weekend needs fixing.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1

English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course

Questions about this lesson

What are prepositions of time?

Prepositions of time are the small words that tell when: at 7:30, on Monday, in June. At A1, the main three are at, on and in, and the time word decides which one you need. Some time words, like next week or tomorrow, take none. The A1 drill lesson In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai practices them in 45 self-checking exercises.

What's the rule for in, on and at with time?

Use at for clock times and for noon, midnight and night; on for days, dates, special days and the weekend; and in for months, years, seasons and parts of the day: at 6:30, on Friday, on October 31, in July, in the evening. The scheme of In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai sets this out in one table, with examples in every row.

What's the difference between in the morning and on Monday morning?

In the morning is the general phrase, and naming a day switches it to on: I take a shower in the morning, but We have a spelling test on Monday morning. With this, every or tomorrow, there's no preposition: this morning. Night works its own way: at night, on Saturday night, tonight. A table in In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai sets the three side by side.

Is it “in the weekend” or “on the weekend”?

It's on the weekend in American English, the variety the lesson teaches, and in the weekend is a typical learner mistake. British English says at the weekend, which is also correct. The plural works the same way: on weekends. In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai drills on the weekend and never offers at the weekend as a wrong answer.

When do you use no preposition with time words?

Leave it out before every, this and next, and before today, tonight and tomorrow: The pool opens next week. Is the library open today? Learners often add one anyway, as in on next Monday or in this morning. In In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai, these items show whole phrases, so the phrase with no preposition is a real choice: next week, on next week or in next week.

Are there interactive prepositions of time exercises?

Yes. Without an account, this page plays five parts of In, on, at: times, days and months, an A1 drill lesson on edio.ai: a sort into in, on and at; a choice of at, in or on with times of the day; gaps with days, dates and months; a match of phrases that mean the same; and a chat at a community center's front desk. The other exercises and the homework open with an account.

How do I teach prepositions of time to A1 students?

Take one preposition per step, from at with clock times to on with days and in with months, then mix them and add the time words that take none. In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai is built that way: a chapter for at, one for on, one for in and next week, then a community center schedule full of all three.

What's a good game for practicing in, on and at?

Try preposition slap: put three cards on a table, at, on and in, call out a time word such as midnight, Friday or the fall, and the first student to slap the right card keeps it. In the homework of In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai, a memory game pairs each mistake, like in Monday, with its correction.

What are good in, on, at exercises for homework?

The best ones mix all three with the no-preposition words in new sentences, so students can't guess from a chapter title. All 15 homework tasks in In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai check themselves: choices, gaps, sorts, a table with this, quizzes and word order, plus a postcard from Chicago, a pizza ad and a student's post about her busy week.

How do you practice prepositions of time one-to-one?

Plan a week together: the student says when they work, study and rest, on Mondays, at 8:00, in the evening, and the teacher asks follow-up questions with next and this. The front-desk chat in In, on, at: times, days and months on edio.ai needs no partner: the student signs up for a yoga class, and each wrong reply has a preposition mistake.

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