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Prepositions of time
In - general period of time, month, year
- exception: at night
- They were born in 1948.
- She was born in July
- He was born in May, 1948.
- He was born in the morning.
- We eat supper in the evening.
at - specific time
- exception at night, at weekends (British)
- She goes to work at 7.
- He comes home at 8.
- They eat lunch at noon.
- We go to bed at midnight.
- We watch movies at night.
on - day - exception: on the weekend (American)
- He was born on May 3rd, 1948.
- I will go shopping on Saturday.
- They are paid on the 15th and 30th of every month.
by - limit
- You must turn in your report by 3.
- I have to be home by 6.
until - limit, end
- I will work until it is complete.
- We played tennis until we were exhausted.
- She wouldn't try apples until she saw someone else eat one.
since - start date, time or reference
- I have been reading this book since Friday.
- It has been broken since last year.
- They have been working since early this morning.
during - at the same time
- They were so happy during their vacation.
- He goes hiking during the spring.
for - period of time
- I have been teaching music for 3 years.
- You have been sick for two days.
throughout - from the beginning to the end
- I have tried to do what's right throughout my life.
before - earlier, in the past.
- I ate lunch before leaving home.
- You should grab your umbrella before going out in the rain.
after - later, in the future
- Why don't we go for a walk after dinner?
- We will finish the report after I check my e-mail.
around - a specific time give or take a few minutes
- I should arrive around three.
- I go to bed around ten.
in
at
on
by
until
since
during
for
throughout
before
after
around
at
on
by
until
since
during
for
throughout
before
after
around
This page is one of PLS's English grammar pages for people who want to learn or improve their English grammar skills.
