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Is it morning in Hawaii? Prepositions of time and parts of the day

Prepositions of time with the parts of the day are the focus of this A1 ESL lesson plan.

Grammar
Parts of the day with in the or at (in the evening, at night), a.m. and p.m., What time is it in…? and greetings that fit the time there: Good afternoon!
Topic
US time zones and a family video call from New York to Hawaii and Texas, with words such as sunrise, sunset, time zone and call.
Activities
A time-zone chart, a dialogue about the call and a voice message from Honolulu, self-checking drills, a chat with Sam, open-the-box call role-plays and a message to family in another state.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Good morning, America!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the new wordsVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: six time zones

    • Look at the photo: sunrise in HawaiiPictureUnlock
    • Read the time-zone chartReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: call home!

    • Listen to Mia and SamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to a voice message from Mia's momListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: in the morning, at night

    • Study the scheme: in the morning, at nightGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the table: in the… or at…?Fill in the tableTry it
    • Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: plan a video call

    • Choose the right replies: a call to HawaiiChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: plan a video callOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Write a message: plan a video callWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message for your familySpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 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.

Parts of the day vocabulary

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

+6 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • night
  • sunrise
  • sunset
  • time zone
  • sleep
  • call

Grammar: prepositions of time with parts of the day

A call from Brooklyn to Honolulu only works if you know what part of the day it is there, so time zones give prepositions of time a real job. Learners pair each part of the day with in or at, ask what time it is in other cities and greet people by their clock.

In the morning, at night

What time is it in Honolulu? – It's 7 a.m. It's morning there.

In the morning, but at night

Three parts of the day take in the: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. Night, noon and midnight take at, with no the. The table pairs each part with its greeting too.

TimeWhen?Say
7 a.m. 🌅in the morningGood morning!
2 p.m. ☀️in the afternoonGood afternoon!
7 p.m. 🌆in the eveningGood evening!
11 p.m. 🌙at nightGood night! (= goodbye)
12:00 ☀️at noon–
12:00 🌙at midnight–

a.m. or in the morning, never both

a.m. means before noon and p.m. after it, so 9 a.m. and 9 in the morning say the same thing. Learners choose one or the other: It's 9 in the morning a.m. says it twice.

  • a.m. = before noon: 9 a.m. = 9 in the morning
  • p.m. = after noon: 3 p.m. = 3 in the afternoon, 7 p.m. = 7 in the evening

What time is it in…? When it's…, it's…

Learners ask about another city and add the part of the day: It's 7 a.m. in Honolulu. It's morning there. A fixed frame compares two clocks: When it's 4 p.m. in New York, it's 3 p.m. in Austin.

What time is it in…?

What time is itin + city?

What time is it in Honolulu? – It's 7 a.m. in Honolulu. It's morning there.

What time is it in Chicago? – It's 11 p.m. It's night there.

When it's…, it's… (in winter)

When it's + time + in + city,it's + time + in + city.

When it's noon in New York, it's 7 a.m. in Honolulu.

When it's 4 p.m. in New York, it's 3 p.m. in Austin.

When it's 8 p.m. in New York, it's 5 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Say hello by their time

On a call, the greeting follows the clock at the other end: Good morning! to Honolulu at 7 a.m., even if it's noon in New York. Good night! is only for goodbye or bed.

Hello by their time

On a video call, say hello by the time there. It's 7 a.m. in Honolulu? Say Good morning! Good night! is only for goodbye or bed.

Common mistakes

  • We sleep in the night.

    We sleep at night.

    night: at

  • I get up at 7 on the morning.

    I get up at 7 in the morning.

    morning: in the

  • We have dinner at the evening.

    We have dinner in the evening.

    evening: in the

  • It's 9 in the morning a.m.

    It's 9 a.m. / It's 9 in the morning.

    a.m. or in the morning, not both

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.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 10 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • use in the or at with each part of the day: in the afternoon, at night
  • ask the time in another city and compare: When it's noon in New York, it's 7 a.m. in Honolulu.
  • say 9 a.m. or 9 in the morning, without putting both together
  • plan a video call across time zones and greet people by their time: Good afternoon!

Lesson 23 is the third lesson of My day, the sixth unit of English A1.1 · Hello, World, just before the unit's review in lesson 24. It builds on a.m. and p.m. from lesson 21 and on at + a time and on + a day from lesson 22. Across six time zones, noon in New York is breakfast time in Honolulu, so the part of the day matters.

The spin wheel asks questions like Are you a morning person or a night person?, and nine word cards, from sunrise to time zone, come with pictures and audio. Students read a chart of the six time zones and answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. They listen to Mia and Sam plan a family video call (an AI-voiced dialogue) and to a voice message from Mia's mom in Honolulu. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises: choosing the right word, a table of times to say with in or at, a drag-and-drop with question words and greetings, and a quiz on the right sentence, each checked as students answer. In the speaking chapter, they reply to Sam in a chat about the call and open boxes to plan video calls of their own.

For homework, students put sentences in order and unscramble the words for the day, two exercises that check themselves, then write a message to family in another state to plan a video call and record a voice message for them, both for the teacher to review.

Grammar:
parts of the day · in the morning / at night · What time is it in…? · a.m. and p.m. · greetings
Topic:
time zones · Hawaii · video calls · day and night · family

Teaching tips

  • Turn the time-zone chart into a quick drill: call out a New York time, and students give the time in Chicago or Denver and the part of the day there.
  • Collect wrong prepositions on the board, like in the night, on the morning and at the evening, and let the class fix them before the drills; they're the scheme's own common mistakes.
  • Ask where students' families and friends live, then work out the time there right now and whether it's a good moment to call.
  • Run the role-play boxes as real calls: one student is in New York, the other in Honolulu, and each greets the other by the time at their end.

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The whole course: English A1.1 · Hello, World

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5Why is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23 · you're hereIs it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28Review: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31Saturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

Questions about this lesson

Which prepositions of time go with morning, afternoon, evening and night?
Morning, afternoon and evening take in the, while night takes at, with no the: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night. Noon and midnight take at too, like clock times: We have lunch at noon. The A1 lesson Is it morning in Hawaii? on edio.ai ties each part of the day to a clock time, from 7 a.m. in the morning to 11 p.m. at night.
When do you use in, on and at for time?
For time, at goes with clock times and on with days, while in the goes with the morning, the afternoon and the evening: at 4 p.m., on Sunday, in the afternoon. Three words break the pattern and take at: night, noon and midnight. When a day comes before a part of the day, on wins: on Sunday morning. One plan can use two: Let's call our families on Sunday at 4 p.m.
What are the parts of the day in English?
The parts of the day in English are morning, afternoon, evening and night, with noon and midnight at 12:00. As a rough guide, 7 a.m. is in the morning, 2 p.m. in the afternoon, 7 p.m. in the evening and 11 p.m. at night. A part of the day can replace a.m. or p.m. but not join it: 9 a.m. or 9 in the morning, never 9 in the morning a.m.
How do you ask what time it is in another city?
To ask about another city, say What time is it in…? and name the city: What time is it in Honolulu? – It's 7 a.m. there. It's morning there. To compare two clocks, use When it's…, it's…: When it's noon in New York, it's 7 a.m. in Honolulu. That's in winter: the 50 states have six time zones, and Hawaii never changes its clocks, so in summer it's 6 a.m. there.
Is it "in the morning" or "on the morning"?
It's in the morning. On is for days, so it only comes in when a day comes first: Let's call on Sunday morning! The afternoon and the evening work the same way: in the afternoon, but on Sunday afternoon. At the evening is wrong too: We have dinner in the evening.
Is it "at night" or "in the night"?
It's at night, with no the: We sleep at night, not We sleep in the night. Night breaks the pattern of in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening, so learn it in a group with at noon and at midnight. It's the first entry in the scheme's common mistakes, and two drills test it again.
When do you say "good morning", "good afternoon" and "good evening"?
Choose the greeting by the part of the day where the listener is: Good morning! at 7 a.m., Good afternoon! at 2 p.m., Good evening! at 7 p.m. Good night! isn't a hello: it means goodbye, or that someone is going to bed. On a video call, use the time where they are: at noon in New York, it's 7 a.m. in Honolulu, so it's Good morning!
How do I teach prepositions of time to beginners?
With beginners, tie every phrase to a clock time and a real reason to say it. A time-zone chart and a family video call give every phrase a job in the edio.ai lesson Is it morning in Hawaii?, since lunchtime in New York is breakfast time in Hawaii. Students then turn times into phrases in a table, fix errors like in the night, and plan a call that greets each city by its own clock.
What's a good game for practicing prepositions of time?
A good game for prepositions of time is open the box with role-play calls between time zones: It's 4 p.m. in New York. Call your partner in Honolulu! Other boxes ask Do you make video calls in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening? On edio.ai, Is it morning in Hawaii? has eight such boxes, after a warm-up wheel that asks Are you a morning person or a night person?
How do you practice prepositions of time one-to-one?
One-to-one, talk through a real day with in the and at: I get up at 7 in the morning. I watch TV in the evening. Then act out a call: you take one city, the student takes another, and each greets the other by the local time. The chat about a call to Hawaii needs no partner, since the student picks each reply, from It's night there to Say Good afternoon!
What's good homework for practicing prepositions of time?
Good homework is a message that plans a video call with family in another state: Let's have a video call on Sunday. When it's 4 p.m. here, it's 3 p.m. in Chicago. It's afternoon there. In edio.ai's lesson Is it morning in Hawaii?, that message follows two self-checking tasks, sentences to put in order and the day's words to unscramble, and comes with a voice message for the teacher to review.
Are there interactive exercises for prepositions of time?
Yes: interactive exercises for prepositions of time check every answer as soon as it's given. The page of Is it morning in Hawaii?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, has four parts to try without an account: a chart of the six US time zones, a dialogue planning a family video call, a table where times like 7 p.m. become in the evening, and a chat about a call to Hawaii. Everything else is locked.
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