prepositions time

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME NOT I went to Greece in last summer. BUT I went to Greece last summer. NOT I’m meeting Tom in this evening. BUT I’m meeting Tom this evening. NOT I’ll see you on next Tuesday. BUT I’ll see you next Tuesday. NOT I play the piano at every weekend. BUT I play the piano every weekend. NOT I’ll go swimming on tomorrow. BUT I’ll go swimming tomorrow. NOT I had my hair cut on yesterday. BUT I had my hair cut yesterday. E X C E P T I O N S Never use a preposition of time such as ‘on’, ‘at’ or ‘in’ before the following words: last this next every tomorrow yesterday Look at the examples given in the box on the right. on… at… in… …the 22nd of June …Wednesday …Sunday evening(s) …Monday afternoon …Thursday morning …Valentine’s Day …Christmas Day …New Year’s Eve …Good Friday …Easter Sunday …the 1st school day …my birthday …my wedding day …time (punctual) …the moment ...dinnertime …teatime …bedtime …carnival ...Halloween ...Christmas …the weekend …9 o’clock / 9:00 a.m. …half past seven …twenty to four …noon …midnight …night …the beginning …the end (of the day) …sunset …moonrise …February …1963 …the eighties / 80s …the late / early 1940s …10 minutes …an hour …5 weeks …3 months …the morning …the evening …the afternoon …the meantime …a while …a couple of days …a few seconds …a fortnight …(the) winter …the next century …the mid-16th century …time (before due time) …the past …the present …the future B) Fill the gaps with suitable prepositions from the box underneath. _____ Valentine’s Day, Eric bought a bunch of roses for his girlfriend. It snowed heavily _____ the night. I don’t have to work _____ Sundays. Frank will travel to Rome _____ Christmas. The accident happened _____ 25 past eight. Do you always wash your face _____ the morning? _____ lunchtime we had a delicious pizza. Sarah is going to leave _____ a few minutes. A) Underline the correct word. Be careful though: sometimes you cannot use a preposition at all. My mum always gets up on / at / in sunrise. Jeremy plays tennis in / on / – every Friday. We are going to meet them at / in / on 5 p.m. Phil doesn’t eat anything on / in / at the evenings. Anne is going to travel to Jamaica in / – / on 2001. The referee blows his whistle on / – / at the start of every football match. Mr Burns will go skiing on / – / in next March. I was born in / – / at the late seventies. The train arrived on / at / – time. On / At / In Tuesdays I always go to the gym. Easter is celebrated in / on / at spring. Tessa can’t sleep at / in / on night. In Germany, most hairdressers are closed at / – / on Mondays. C) Write 6 sentences with the words from the box underneath and use the correct preposition of time. 1. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 2. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 3. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 4. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 5. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 6. _____________________________ ______________________________ . D) Match the beginnings with the correct endings of the sentences underneath. 1) James got married a) at a quarter past one. 2) Do you usually go out b) in 2050? 3) Stacy got the letter c) at the moment. 4) Most trees lose their leaves d) in 1972. 5) They left e) at weekends? 6) Brian is not at home f) in autumn / fall. 7) Where will you live g) on August 30th. at / at / at / in / in / in / on / on birthday / 2 hours / the afternoon / Wednesday morning / 2011 / midnight PREPOSITIONS OF TIME NOT I went to Greece in last summer. BUT I went to Greece last summer. NOT I’m meeting Tom in this evening. BUT I’m meeting Tom this evening. NOT I’ll see you on next Tuesday. BUT I’ll see you next Tuesday. NOT I play the piano at every weekend. BUT I play the piano every weekend. NOT I’ll go swimming on tomorrow. BUT I’ll go swimming tomorrow. NOT I had my hair cut on yesterday. BUT I had my hair cut yesterday. E X C E P T I O N S Never use a preposition of time such as ‘on’, ‘at’ or ‘in’ before the following words: last this next every tomorrow yesterday Look at the examples given in the box on the right. on… at… in… …the 22nd of June …Wednesday …Sunday evening(s) …Monday afternoon …Thursday morning …Valentine’s Day …Christmas Day …New Year’s Eve …Good Friday …Easter Sunday …the 1st school day …my birthday …my wedding day …time (punctual) …the moment ...dinnertime …teatime …bedtime …carnival ...Halloween ...Christmas …the weekend …9 o’clock / 9:00 a.m. …half past seven …twenty to four …noon …midnight …night …the beginning …the end (of the day) …sunset …moonrise …February …1963 …the eighties / 80s …the late / early 1940s …10 minutes …an hour …5 weeks …3 months …the morning …the evening …the afternoon …the meantime …a while …a couple of days …a few seconds …a fortnight …(the) winter …the next century …the mid-16th century …time (before due time) …the past …the present …the future B) Fill the gaps with suitable prepositions from the box underneath. _____ Valentine’s Day, Eric bought a bunch of roses for his girlfriend. It snowed heavily _____ the night. I don’t have to work _____ Sundays. Frank will travel to Rome _____ Christmas. The accident happened _____ 25 past eight. Do you always wash your face _____ the morning? _____ lunchtime we had a delicious pizza. Sarah is going to leave _____ a few minutes. A) Underline the correct word. Be careful though: sometimes you cannot use a preposition at all. My mum always gets up on / at / in sunrise. Jeremy plays tennis in / on / – every Friday. We are going to meet them at / in / on 5 p.m. Phil doesn’t eat anything on / in / at the evenings. Anne is going to travel to Jamaica in / – / on 2001. The referee blows his whistle on / – / at the start of every football match. Mr Burns will go skiing on / – / in next March. I was born in / – / at the late seventies. The train arrived on / at / – time. On / At / In Tuesdays I always go to the gym. Easter is celebrated in / on / at spring. Tessa can’t sleep at / in / on night. In Germany, most hairdressers are closed at / – / on Mondays. C) Write 6 sentences with the words from the box underneath and use the correct preposition of time. 1. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 2. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 3. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 4. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 5. _____________________________ ______________________________ . 6. _____________________________ ______________________________ . D) Match the beginnings with the correct endings of the sentences underneath. 1) James got married a) at a quarter past one. 2) Do you usually go out b) in 2050? 3) Stacy got the letter c) at the moment. 4) Most trees lose their leaves d) in 1972. 5) They left e) at weekends? 6) Brian is not at home f) in autumn / fall. 7) Where will you live g) on August 30th. at / at / at / in / in / in / on / on birthday / 2 hours / the afternoon / Wednesday morning / 2011 / midnight Answer Key: A) at sunrise / – every Friday / at 5 p.m. / in the evenings / in 2001 / at the start / – March / in the late 70s / on time / On Tuesdays / in spring / at night / on Mondays B) On / in / on / at / at / in / At / in C) JUST EXAMPLES: 1. I got lots of presents on my birthday. 2. The bus will leave in 2 hours. 3. In the future, there will be more and more cars on the streets. 4. Sandra always goes swimming on Wednesday morning. 5. I’m going to learn Spanish in 2011. 6. My grandfather usually goes to bed at midnight. D) 1) + d) / 2) + e) / 3) + g) / 4) + f) / 5) + a) / 6) + c) / 7) + b)