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Prepositions of Time Explained

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9 views3 pages

Prepositions of Time Explained

Uploaded by

Soporte Barbat
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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13.

1 Prepositions of time part 1


Prepositions of time.

[00:00:02] At for specific times.

[00:00:05] We most often use at to refer to a specific time, an exact hour of the day. Usually a
time that you can read on a clock.

[00:00:13] I wake up at 6 a.m.

[00:00:15] I eat lunch at noon.

[00:00:17] I go to bed at midnight.

[00:00:19] We will give the presentation at 2:30.

[00:00:22] At with holiday periods.

[00:00:25] At is also used to talk about the general period of time that surrounds the specific
date of a holiday.

[00:00:31] So for example, Christmas is on December 25th. That is the specific date we celebrate
this holiday. But if we say at Christmas, we are describing the period of time that we begin to
celebrate it and finish celebrating it. So at Christmas can mean from the end of November until
the end of December. You will also hear some people add -time to the end of a holiday name to
express the idea of the entire amount of time that the holiday is celebrated, like Christmastime.

[00:01:03] At Christmas, we cut down a tree, visit family and sing a lot of Christmas songs.

[00:01:08] Remember this doesn't mean just the day of Christmas. It means the things we do
before it and after it.

[00:01:14] At Halloween people watch scary movies and decorate their houses. Then, on the day
of Halloween, the kids go trick-or-treating.

[00:01:22] On.

[00:01:23] I just showed you how we can use at to describe a period of time that surrounds a
specific date. Now, I'll show you how to use on for specific days and dates on the calendar.

[00:01:35] Days.

[00:01:35] When I say days, I mean Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
and Sunday.
[00:01:41] These are the days of the week. And when we want to talk about a specific day, we
use on!

[00:01:47] Last week on Tuesday. I went to the cinema.

[00:01:51] On Thursday, you have to give the presentation.

[00:01:54] My family is visiting me on Saturday.

[00:01:57] Dates.

[00:01:58] A date on the calendar is a specific day of the month, and we use on when discussing
one. So that can be the ordinal number, like the third, the 21st or the 30th. Or we can also
include the month and we have a couple ways to do that. For example, the 3rd of March or the
21st of March, the 30th of March or, and much more common in the US, we can put the month
first, followed by the ordinal number. March 3rd, March 21st, March 30th.

[00:02:29] These are all specific dates.

[00:02:31] On June 16th, I'll be in Florida for a business trip.

[00:02:35] On the 25th, we don't have work because of Christmas.

[00:02:38] On the 3rd of June, I'll be traveling with my family.

[00:02:42] In for months and years.

[00:02:44] In has six important uses with time.

[00:02:47] So let's start with months and years.

[00:02:50] If you're ever talking about a month or a year, and it's related to time, you are going
to use in. We always use in with months and years. And we talk about months and years a lot.
So that is important to remember. This is for specific years and months and we'll discuss how to
use in for more general periods in a little bit.

[00:03:10] I usually go on vacation in January.

[00:03:12] The first time I heard this band was in like 2014.

[00:03:16] I graduated from college in 2007, and I started working here in March.

[00:03:21] In for decades and centuries.

[00:03:24] A group of ten years is called a decade in English. A group of 100 years is a century.
The 1980s and 1920s are two different decades, far apart in the same century. Notice that to say
a decade in time, we say the plus the specific decade. Like this the 30s the 40's the 50s. You can
also say it the longer way: the 1930s the 1940s the 1950s. The 20th century is every decade
from the 1900s to the 1990s. For a century, we say the century. The 19th century, the 20th
century, and now the 21st century .And guess what, we use in with all of these!

[00:04:12] World War II started in the first half of the 20th century.

[00:04:16] Rock and roll became popular in the 1950s.

[00:04:19] In the late 1990s the internet became very popular.

[00:04:23] It was first discovered in the 16th century by explorers.

[00:04:27] In for seasons.

[00:04:29] There are four seasons in a year: fall winter spring and summer. In the UK autumn is
used instead of fall. In the US. fall is much more common, but we sometimes use autumn. And
whenever talking about one of these seasons related to time, we'll use in.

[00:04:46] In summer it gets so hot.

[00:04:48] I always drink lots of hot cocoa in winter.

[00:04:51] People often clean their houses in spring .

[00:04:54] In plus a period of time.

[00:04:56] If you want to say when something is going to happen in the future, or make a
prediction or estimate about something in the future, use in.

[00:05:04] I will be ready in five minutes.

[00:05:07] When does the movie start?

[00:05:08] I think it starts in half an hour.

[00:05:10] In 5 years technology will be very different than it is today.

Common questions

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'On' is used for specific days and dates on the calendar, such as 'on Tuesday', 'on the 3rd of June', or 'on June 16th' . These refer to specific days of the week or the month and specific calendar dates . On the other hand, 'in' is used for less specific time frames such as months, years, decades, and centuries (e.g., 'in January', 'in 2014', 'in the 1950s'). It covers broader ranges of time rather than specific single days.

The preposition 'in' offers flexibility when discussing estimated future events by allowing speakers to indicate a timeframe without locking into a specific date. For example, 'in five years' suggests a general expectation of change without predetermining an exact day . This linguistic flexibility enables effective planning and foresight, accommodating uncertainty inherent in future predictions by providing a broad temporal cushion for expectations.

Cultural context significantly influences using 'at' for holiday periods. For example, 'at Christmas' encompasses broader traditions and cultural practices beyond December 25th, recognizing the wider festive period from late November to December . This usage reflects collective cultural activities and sentiment, rather than a mere snapshot in time, emphasizing the importance of contextual understanding in language use, particularly in shared cultural events.

'At' is typically used to specify exact times on the clock, such as 'at 6 a.m.' or 'at noon' . However, during holiday periods, 'at' is employed to describe the extended time during which holiday activities occur, not just a specific day (e.g., 'at Christmas' means the whole period from the end of November to December rather than just December 25th). This highlights 'at’'s role in contextually expanding its time reference based on tradition and cultural norms.

'In' is used for months and years, such as 'in January' or 'in 2007', where it covers specific time frames rather than single days . It is also applied to longer periods like decades and centuries ('in the 1950s', 'in the 20th century'). Moreover, 'in' is utilized for making predictions or estimates about the future, signifying when something is expected to happen (e.g., 'in five years'). This demonstrates its flexibility in handling varying lengths of time.

Choosing the wrong preposition can lead to ambiguity or misinterpretation in academic writing, where precision is crucial. For example, using 'at' instead of 'in' when referring to a year (e.g., 'at 2014' vs. 'in 2014') may confuse readers about the time frame being discussed . Similarly, using 'on' incorrectly for a month (e.g., 'on January' instead of 'in January') could divert attention from the intended message. Proper preposition choice ensures clarity and instructional efficacy in conveying temporal details.

The preposition 'at' is used to refer to specific times, such as an exact hour on the clock (e.g., at 6 a.m.). Conversely, when referring to holiday periods, 'at' describes the general period surrounding a specific holiday date, encompassing activities before and after the holiday itself, like 'at Christmas' for the period from the end of November to the end of December .

Understanding that 'in' is used for seasons (e.g., 'in summer', 'in winter') enhances clarity by clearly marking broader periods of the year without tying them to specific dates or moments . This usage facilitates effective communication by grouping activities or characteristics commonly associated with seasons distinctly, allowing for comprehensive discussions about experiences or events within those time frames.

'On' is preferred over 'at' or 'in' when discussing specific days of the week or calendar dates. It is used for specific instances like 'on Saturday', 'on the 25th', or 'on March 3rd' . While 'at' is more appropriate for specifying exact clock times or holiday periods and 'in' for broader time spans like months and years, 'on' connects directly with particular days and precise dates, marking them on the calendar.

Using 'on' with both days of the week and specific calendar dates helps provide specificity and clarity. It distinctly marks events on the weekly and monthly calendar, such as 'on Thursday' or 'on June 16th', thereby ensuring accurate communication of when an event occurs . This precision is particularly important in planning and scheduling, as it minimizes potential misunderstandings associated with temporal references.

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