33 MCQs] Super Easy Preposition of Time: In, On, At in English Grammar

SPEAK ENGLISH WITH FULL CONFIDENCE

NEVER EVER FORGET YOUR PREPOSITION OF TIME

WHY LEARN PREPOSITIONS IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR?

Read the following sentence:

‘The boy was sitting on his desk doing his assignment.’

The sentence might sound correct but if you look closely you will find it quite funny.

‘on his desk’ means on the top of the desk. It appears quite unnatural to imagine a boy sitting on top of his desk and studying. Some boys might sit on their desks also but it is not a natural thing to do.

So, what is the correct way of saying?

‘The boy was sitting at his desk doing his assignment.’

This statement means that the boy was sitting on his chair close to the desk and using the desk to write his assignment.

 

Prepositions are words that may sound simple but if you don’t use them properly you will not be able to structure your sentences and will find difficulty communicating with people around you.

WHAT ARE PREPOSITIONS?

Prepositions are also known as position words. It expresses the relation of a person or a thing to other parts of the sentence.

Prepositions are used before a noun or a pronoun.

Prepositions are used to show time, direction, place, location, and relationship.

Some popular examples of prepositions are: on, at, in, of, to, in front of, next to, and instead of.

In this blog, we will work on the preposition of time.

After going through this blog and taking a quiz in the end you will find that using the preposition of time has become a child’s play for you.

Let’s get started, shall we?

PREPOSITION OF TIME USING A CLOCK

We always tell time in hours, minutes and seconds.

So whenever you have to communicate where you have to tell a specific time you will use the preposition ‘at’.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Suppose your friend asks you – when is your job interview.

You will answer – My interview is at ten o’clock.

Another example:

Suppose you will be coming to meet your friend in the evening.

You will say – I will meet you at six in the evening.

Or, I will see you at six o’clock.

 

PREPOSITION OF TIME USING A CALENDAR

Now, let’s look at a case where we use year, month, week, day, and date.

When you use YEAR or MONTH to describe something you will use the preposition IN.

 

Let’s look at a few examples:

I was born in March.

I will graduate in 2024.

NOTE: The preposition ‘in’ is also used while describing something in a day too. It can be morning, afternoon, evening or night. Here the time is not exact so we use ‘in’.

For Example,

I go to college in the morning.

Ravi goes out to play in the evening.

As we have seen in the above examples, we don’t know the exact time so we use the preposition ‘in’.

What about night?

Do we use ‘at night’ or ‘in the night’?

Both, ‘in’ and ‘at’ are used while referring to night. It depends on what you want to communicate.

Let’s take a few examples:

Yesterday, I woke up in the night feeling hungry.

Lions and tigers hunt in the night.

It’s not decent to call someone at night.

Nowadays the climate gets cold at night.

Note that whenever we use the preposition ‘in’ it is followed by ‘the’.

 

When you use DAY and DATE to describe something you will use the preposition ON.

Let’s look at a few examples:

He will leave for Mumbai on Monday.

I will meet you on the 27^th.

 

Now that we have understood the preposition of time using a clock and calendar, are you ready to take a quiz?

 Let’s go for it.

[33 MCQs] QUICK QUIZ ON PREPOSITION OF TIME USING CLOCK AND CALENDAR

1. The professor informed the students that he will meet them ______ one thirty to discuss the assignment.

2. Mohan was born ______ 25^th ______ the month of April.

3. This year Deepawali will fall ____ November.

4. My exams will be held _____ the month of December.

5. _______ Tuesday.

6. _______ 7 o’ clock.

7. _______ 15^th September.

8. _______ 2019.

9. I will meet you ______ half past two.

10. The leaves of the tree fluttered ______ the night breeze.

11. I will see you ______ Wednesday afternoon.

12. India celebrates Republic Day _______ 26^th January.

13. I was born _____ July and my brother was born ______ 15^th of October.

14. I will leave for the station _____ one o’clock _______ Thursday afternoon.

15. The statement – ‘I will be back in 25^th on July.’ – is correct.

16. The Principal declared that the college will be closed ____ Monday.

17. Is the shop open _______ weekends?

18. Some people have a powernap _____ the afternoon.

19. It was late _____ the evening when I reached home.

20. _______ exactly one thirty the bell will ring for the lunch break.

21. I sleep _______ the night.

22. The cops patrol the city _____ night.

23. ______ four o’clock, ______ the month of February was born a boy.

24. He celebrates his birthday ______ 5^th of December.

25. He has breakfast _____ the morning and dinner ______ night.

26. ______ what time will you be home?

27. We usually go shopping _______ Saturdays.

28. When you come home ______ October, we can go sailing.

29. The Mall was inaugurated ______ 11^th March 2022.

30. It might rain heavily ______ the coming week.

31. There are five Saturdays ______ July.

32. The first Thursday ______ July falls _______ 6^th.

33. I wake up _____ five o’clock ______ the morning.

A N S W E R

1. at            2. on, in               3. in            4. in            5. on           6. at

7. on           8. in            9. at            10. in                   11. on          12. on

13. in, on    14. at, on    15. No, it’s false.           16. on         17. on         18. in          19. in           20. at         21. in          22. at

23. at, in    24. on         25. in, at    26. at         27. on         28. in        

29. on         30. in         31. in          32. in, on   33. at, in