Prepositions of time are words that come before a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that expresses when something happens. For example:
preposition of timenoun (phrase)
In this post, we’ll discuss how we can use at, on, in, and other prepositions of time to talk about when events happen. Let’s jump in and get started!
How to make prepositional phrases of time?
Prepositional phrases of time tell us when something happens or how long it lasts. Like with other prepositional phrases, they have this structure:
Can you send me your report before 5:00 p.m.?
I haven’t seen my mother since her birthday.
Sorry, I can’t hang out on Friday.
In prepositional phrases of time the noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. always refers to time in some way. It might be:
An exact time (2:00 p.m., bedtime, sunset)
An exact date (July 30, your birthday, Thanksgiving)
An amount of time (three hours, a few minutes, many years)
A period of time (yesterday, June, 2015)
An event (the test, my birthday, our vacation)
Usually a prepositional phrase of time will come at the end of a sentence or clauseNo definition set for clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
My daughter will arrive on Sunday.
I will eat breakfast before school, if I am hungry.
But they can also come at the beginning of a sentence, if followed by a comma:
On Sunday, my daughter will arrive.
There are two other ways that we can describe when or for how long in English:
Using time adverbs , a single word that describes when something happened (e.g. today, tomorrow, yesterday, ...)
Using a time clause, a subordinate clause (sentence within a sentence) that describes when something happened.
Before we leave for the movie, I need to finish my homework.
I can call you when I finish work.
Time clauses are introduced by words called conjunctions of time (e.g. before or when). Many prepositions of time are also conjunctions of time, but not all of them! Have a look at our post on English conjunctions of time to learn more.
What are the most common prepositions of time in English?
At, on, and in are the most common prepositions of time in English. Let’s take a look at each one a little more closely!
How to use ‘at’ as a preposition of time?
We use at before specific and precise moments of the day, such as times on the clock, or events that usually take place at a particular time of day (such as lunchtime, bedtime, sunrise, or sunset):
✅My parents always eat lunch at noon.
✅At bedtime my daughter and I read a story together.
We can use at to describe:
The exact time of a short event:
The first firework exploded at 10 o’clock.
The start time of a long event:
My family always eats dinner at 7:00.
→ Dinner starts at 7:00 and continues after.
A moment that is the focus or main time during a longer event:
I like to sit on my front porch at sunset.
→ The action is focused on the moment of sunset.
Some English speakers also use at to describe the general time period surrounding a holiday. For example, at Christmas would describe the period of time around Christmas. This is more common in British English.
How to use ‘on’ as a preposition of time?
On is used before exact dates (calendar dates or holidays) or days of the week:
✅Do you want to get coffee on Wednesday?
✅I have a doctor’s appointment on March 15th.
✅On Thanksgiving, we always go to our grandparents’ house.
Even though the weekend is two days, we still use on:
On the weekend I always take my dogs to the park.
I always take my dogs to the park on weekends.
Note that in British English, however, it’s more common to say at the weekend.
How to use ‘in’ as a preposition of time?
There are two basic ways to use in as a preposition of time:
in + period of time:
Something happened sometime between the start and the end of the period of time.
Inis used with months:
✅My birthday is in November.
✅Sarah always goes on vacation in June.
We also use in with years, decades, and centuries:
✅That house was built in 1950.
✅She worked for that company in the 70s.
✅My grandmother collects furniture that was built in the 1800s.
We also use in before periods of the day:
✅We eat breakfast in the morning.
✅In the afternoon, we eat lunch.
✅We eat dinner in the evening.
We don’t say in the night, we say at night:
✅I like to watch TV at night.
❌I like to watch TV in the night.
We use in with other long generic periods of time:
✅In the winter, many people enjoy skiing and snowboarding.
✅We will drive in flying cars in the future.
Finally, we use in before a time period that is specified using a prepositional phrase of time or a subordinate clause.
✅I took a shower in the time between 4 and 5 p.m.
✅In the days that followed, I regretted my decision.
✅She looked for work in the period of time after she was laid off.
We do not use in…
before events (exams, our vacation, Hanukkah)
❌ I went to the beach in the holidays.
→ Instead, say over the holidays or during the holidays.
before days (Friday, yesterday, or my birthday)
❌ I was tired in Tuesday.
→ Instead, say on Tuesday.
in + amount of time:
This describes the amount of time that will pass before something happens.
We are going on vacation in two months.
→ After 2 months, the vacation will start.
I have a meeting in a few minutes.
→ After a few minutes, the meeting will start.
He ran a mile in seven minutes.
→ The timer said “seven minutes” when he finished running.
Usually in + amount of time is the time before something starts. It only gives the time before something ends if we are talking about sports or competitive achievements.
What other prepositions can you use to describe when something happened?
While at, on, and in are the most commonly used prepositions of time, there are many other prepositions of time that can help you be more specific in describing time-related events. Let’s take a look at some of these prepositions, their definition, and how you can use them!
‘During’
Duringis a lot like in. During + noun gives a period of time and the event you are describing takes place at some moment within that period. However, unlike in, during is used before events:
We visited the Eiffel Tower during our trip to Paris.
My brother always finishes his popcorn during the movie previews.
Use during with these types of time phrases:
events (during the party)
(rare) periods of time (during June)
‘Since’
We use since + time phrase to give the start time of another event:
I have lived in this house since 2010.
John has been chatting with Mary since lunchtime.
We haven’t visited our grandparents since last Christmas.
The preposition since is almost always used to describe events in the English perfect tenses (like the present perfect, the past perfect, and the perfect continuous tenses), though there are exceptions.
We don’t usually use since with an amount of time, but you can sometimes use it this way if you add the word ago.
✅ since 2 minutes ago
❌ since 2 minutes
✅ since several hours ago
❌ since several hours
‘Until’
You can use until (or ’til / till) before the time when another action or situation stops:
I lived alone until May, when my sister moved in with me.
Maybe we should wait until 4 p.m.?
I won’t be home until 6 tonight.
Until is usually used in writing, but the first part is often dropped in casual speech so that it sounds like ’til / till.
We usually do not usually use until with amounts of time. Instead use for:
✅I went to school for five days.
❌I went to school until five days.
‘For’
We use for to describe the whole period of time that an action or situation takes place:
I have been waiting for an hour!
We’re going home for the holidays.
She’s lived in that house for three years.
Note that for is particularly useful if you’re using the present perfect verb tense!
You can use for with these types of time phrases:
amounts of time (for 45 minutes)
some events (for the weekend, for Christmas, ...)
‘Before’
Before introduces a moment that comes later than the event you are describing:
I need to meet with my professor before the final exam.
→ First, meet professor – second, final exam.
Can you set the table before dinner?
→ First, set the table – second, dinner.
Note that for is particularly useful if you’re using the present perfect verb tense!
We do not usually use before with amounts of time.
❌I went to school before five days.
‘After’
After introduces a moment that comes earlier than the event you are describing:
You’ll feel better after your nap.
→ First, your nap – second, you will feel better.
I can meet any time after 2 p.m.
→ First, 2 p.m. – second, I can meet.
Unlike before, you can usually use after with amounts of time!
✅ She finished college after 4 years.
→ First, four years passed – second, she finished college.
‘By’
By is used before the last possible moment when something can happen or finish:
I need to get to the airport by 10:00 a.m., or I will miss my flight!
You should return your library book by Tuesday, or else it will be late.
We do not usually use by with an amount of time. Instead use in or give the exact end time with by.
✅He needs to finish his homework in 30 minutes.
✅He needs to finish his homework by 3 p.m.
❌He needs to finish his homework by 30 minutes.
'Ago'
We use ago to talk about how far in the past something happened.
It’s important to know that ago is not a ‘proper’ preposition, so it follows a different pattern than the one we talked about above! Instead of preposition + time word, here’s how you use ago:
I called them an hour ago.
The last time I saw her was five years ago.
'Over'
Over is usually only used as a preposition of time before time phrases describing holidays or time off work or school (such as the weekend of a break). It has the same meaning as during, but is sometimes more natural:
We’re going on vacation to Europe over Christmas.
Over the weekend we visited a museum and saw a concert.
Over is also sometimes used more poetically with longer phrases describing periods of time:
I’ve had many different jobs over the course of my career.
Over the school year, I’ve read at least twenty different books for classes.
‘From… to…’ and ‘between… and…’
We use from… to… and between… and… to discuss when an event starts and ends.
Like ago, from… to… and between… and… follow a different structure than the other prepositions. Here’s how to use from… to… and between… and…:
My grandfather is a farmer and he works from sunrise to sunset.
The students’ lunch period is from 12:00 to 12:30.
Between lunch and dinner, I don't eat snacks.
Lucy grades papers between her first class and her second class.
Here is the difference:
→ the action always lasts for the whole period
→ the action may last for only some of that time
Summary
We covered a lot of information about prepositional phrases of time, so let’s do a quick wrap-up to remember what we discussed! Most importantly, prepositional phrases of time express when something happened, and they are made up of a preposition + a time word or expression.
The three most common prepositions to use at the beginning of a prepositional phrase of time are at, on, and in:
at before an exact or specific time
in before a general period of time
There are also a variety of different prepositions you can use to talk about time-related events. In this post, we introduced you to: during, since, until, for, before, after, by, ago, over, from… to…, and between… and….
Now that you’ve learned all about prepositional phrases of time, try out these prepositions of time practice exercises to test your knowledge!
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