at/in/on (time)

Using at, on, and in for Time

We use three main prepositions to talk about time in English: at, on, and in. Each one is used with different types of time expressions.

1. At — Exact times and fixed expressions

Use at with precise times and certain set phrases:

• at five o’clock
• at midnight
• at lunchtime
• at the moment
• at the weekend / at weekends
• at Christmas
• at night (in general)

Example: “I usually go to bed at midnight.”

Note the difference between at night (in general) and in the night (referring to a specific night or event).

2. On — Days and dates

Use on with days of the week and specific dates:

• on Friday
• on 16 May
• on Christmas Day
• on Friday morning(s)

Example: “We have a meeting on Monday.”

3. In — Longer periods of time

Use in for months, years, seasons, and parts of the day:

• in June
• in 2012
• in winter
• in the morning / afternoon / evening

Example: “The flowers bloom in spring.”

4. Dropping at, on, in with certain words

We usually do not use these prepositions before last, next, this, or every:

• See you next Friday.
• They got married last June.

In casual speech, we often drop the preposition before some days:

• See you Friday.

5. In for duration and the future

Use in to say how long something takes or when something will happen in the future:

• I’ll be ready in a few minutes.
• She’s moving in six months.
• I learned to drive in four weeks.