English grammar › A2
in, on, at (time)
Level A2 · at 6 · on Monday · in May
Which word goes before a time?
English uses three small prepositions for time. The rule goes from small to big: an exact time, a day, a longer period.
When you need it
- Making appointments.
- Saying when something happened.
Pattern
at 6 pm → on Monday → in May / 2020
Examples
- **at** night · **at** the weekend — fixed expressions with at
- **in** the morning — parts of the day take in
Remember: Smallest to biggest: at (point) → on (day) → in (long period).
The rule
at for clock times, on for days and dates, in for months, years, seasons and parts of the day.
at 7 o'clock, at night, on Friday, on 3 May, in June, in 2020, in the morning
Small → big: at 9:00 · on Monday → in March · in 2025
Common mistakes
- Not:
in Monday— But: on Monday - Not:
at the morning— But: in the morning
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