The prepositions in, on, and at are some of the most confusing words in English. Even advanced learners mix them up because they don’t always translate directly from other languages.
The good news? They aren’t random. There are clear patterns you can follow.
When you organize prepositions by topic — time, location, transportation, and media, the rules become easier to understand and remember.
Time
IN
Use IN for enclosed time periods.
- in December
- in the summer
- in 1997
- in the ’90s
- in the summer, winter, etc.
- in the morning
- in the afternoon
- in the evening
ON
Use ON for specific days, dates, and holidays.
- on Monday
- on weekends
- on January 22
- on my birthday
- on Christmas
- on vacation
AT
Use AT for times of the day.
- at 6:00pm
- at midnight (12 am)
- at lunchtime (12 pm)
- at night (but in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening)
Location
IN
Think of IN for enclosed spaces and places with borders, like rooms, towns, cities, counties, states, countries, and continents
- in the kitchen
- in Sydney
- in Australia
- in the south
- in the world
- in the universe
Use IN with geographical locations and bodies of water (if you’re swimming.)
- in the mountains
- in the forest
- in the desert
- in the water
- in the lake
- in the ocean
ON
Use ON for street names, borders, and floors of buildings.
- on 10th Ave.
- on the border
- on the coast
- on the first floor
- on the roof
Use ON for surfaces.
- on the ground
- on the floor
- on the wall
- on the beach (if you’re tanning.)
AT
Use AT for specific locations and places of business.
- at the supermarket
- at the beach
- at the library
- at the zoo
- at the restaurant
- at the mall
- at home
Transportation
For transportation, remember these guidelines:
IN
Use IN for private transportation.
- in a car
- in a truck
- in a taxi
- in an Uber
- in a small boat or kayak
ON
use ON for public transportation.
- on the bus
- on a plane
- on a ship or cruise
- on a train
- on the subway
- on the trolley
Use ON for things that one person can sit or stand on.
- on a bicycle
- on a motorcycle
- on a horse
- on a surfboard
- on a skateboard
AT
Use AT for places where you wait for transport.
- at the bus stop
- at the taxi stand
- at the airport
- at the train station
- at a stop sign
- at an intersection
- at a crosswalk
Media
IN
Use IN for paper media.
- in a book
- in a newspaper
- in a magazine
- in a dictionary
- in a journal
- in the comments
- in a blog post
ON
Use ON for electronic media and technology.
- on the internet
- on tv
- on the radio
- on the phone
- on social media
- on facebook, instagram, WhatsApp, etc.
AT
Use AT or the @ symbol for
- websites
- url’s
- emails
I hope you learned a lot about prepositions from this lesson!
Let me know if it helped you in the comments below.
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Happy speaking!
Elsa
Reblogged this on So, You Think You Can Teach ESL?.
This information is really interesting and helpful 🙂 I speak spanish, so these prepositions are kind of difficult for me. Thank you!
I’m so glad it helped you! I’m learning Spanish, and it’s the same for me- with “para” and “por”. 🙂