In, on and at look tiny and cause more trouble than any tense. Time goes from big to small: in a year, on a day, at a clock time. Place works the same way, and a few verbs simply own their preposition.
1. In, On, At
Ida: When does the course start?
Paz: In September, on the fourteenth, at nine.
Ida: That's a Monday, isn't it?
Paz: It is. It finishes in December.
Ida: So I'm busy at the weekend for three months.
Paz: Only on Saturday mornings.
2. Where Exactly?
Tom: Where's the office?
Ayla: In that gray building, on the top floor.
Tom: And the entrance?
Ayla: At the back, next to the bike racks.
Tom: Is there a sign?
Ayla: There's a small one above the door.
3. Meet Me in Front of the Bank
Jonas: Where shall we meet?
Rina: In front of the bank, by the cash machine.
Jonas: Is that the one around the corner from the market?
Rina: That's the one. I'll stand between the door and the tree.
Jonas: I'll be there at half past two.
Rina: I'll be there at twenty-five past, as usual.
4. How Do I Get There?
Fabi: How do I get to the museum?
Yara: Walk along the river and turn left at the lights.
Fabi: Is it far?
Yara: It's halfway between the station and the park.
Fabi: So twenty minutes?
Yara: Fifteen, if you don't stop at every window.
5. Waiting For, Looking At
Cem: Who are you waiting for?
Beth: My sister. She's upstairs, looking at coats.
Cem: Did you tell her the time?
Beth: I told her, and she isn't listening to me today.
Cem: Shall I look for her?
Beth: Give her five minutes. It depends on the line anyway.
6. Good At, Interested In
Dov: She's very good at numbers.
Lia: Is she interested in the finance job?
Dov: She's worried about the hours.
Lia: Everyone here is tired of long hours.
Dov: She's married to a nurse. They never see each other.
Lia: Then the hours matter more than the money.
7. We Arrived at Six
Noor: What time did you arrive?
Kris: We arrived at the airport at six and got to the hotel at nine.
Noor: Three hours?
Kris: We arrived in the city at seven. The traffic did the rest.
Noor: Did you get to the meeting?
Kris: We walked in as it finished.
8. On Time or In Time
Meg: Was the train on time?
Zoltan: To the minute. I got in just in time for the film.
Meg: You're never on time for anything.
Zoltan: I'm on time when the seat costs money.
Meg: So I should charge you for dinner.
Zoltan: Then I'd be early.
Words to know
| in front of | directly before something, facing it In front of the bank, by the cash machine. |
| next to | immediately beside At the back, next to the bike racks. |
| around the corner | very close, just past the end of the street Is that the one around the corner from the market? |
| halfway | at the middle point between two places It's halfway between the station and the park. |
| get to | to reach a place How do I get to the museum? |
| upstairs | on a higher floor of the same building My sister. She's upstairs, looking at coats. |
| on time | at exactly the arranged time, not late Was the train on time? |
| in time | early enough for something that is about to start To the minute. I got in just in time for the film. |
Quick practice
Fill each gap with the preposition used in the conversations above.
1. ____ September, ____ the fourteenth, ____ nine.
_______________________________________
2. ____ that gray building, ____ the top floor.
_______________________________________
3. How do I get ____ the museum?
_______________________________________
4. Who are you waiting ____?
_______________________________________
5. She's very good ____ numbers.
_______________________________________
6. We arrived ____ the airport ____ six.
_______________________________________
Show the answers
1. In September, on the fourteenth, at nine. 2. In that gray building, on the top floor. 3. How do I get to the museum? 4. Who are you waiting for? 5. She's very good at numbers. 6. We arrived at the airport at six.
Common mistakes
Not: We arrived to the station at six.
Say: We arrived at the station at six.
Arrive takes at for a building or a point, and in for a town or a country. It never takes to.
Not: I'm waiting my friend outside.
Say: I'm waiting for my friend outside.
Some verbs keep their preposition even when it adds no meaning: wait for, listen to, look at, depend on.
Not: He's very good in maths.
Say: He's very good at maths.
Adjectives choose a preposition and keep it: good at, interested in, worried about, tired of, married to.
Your turn
Say each one aloud. Prepositions are learned by repetition, not by rules, so repeat the whole phrase and not the word.
- Say the date and time of your next appointment using in, on and at together.
- Describe where you live: in which town, on which street, at which number.
- Give directions from your home to the nearest shop, using along, past, between and around the corner.
- Say five sentences with wait for, listen to, look at, look for and depend on.
- Say what you are good at, interested in, worried about and tired of.
Quick review
Time goes from wide to narrow: in a month or a year, on a day or a date, at a clock time. Place follows the same shape: in a town or a building, on a street or a floor, at a point such as a door or a bus stop. Arrive takes at or in, never to. Many verbs and adjectives carry a fixed preposition, so learn the whole phrase as one piece: wait for, good at, tired of.