Prepositions In, On, At: Exercises with Answers

For time, use at for clock times, on for days and dates, and in for months, years and longer periods. For place, use at for a point, on for a surface or line, and in for an enclosed space or area.

In, on and at at a glance

Preposition	Time	Place
at	at 7 p.m., at noon, at night	at the door, at the bus stop
on	on Monday, on 5 May, on my birthday	on the table, on the wall
in	in June, in 2026, in the morning	in the box, in London

The meeting starts at nine on Friday.

💡 At marks the clock time; on marks the day.

Your phone is on the sofa, not in your bag.

💡 On is a surface; in is inside a container.

I’ll meet you at the station.

💡 The station is treated as a meeting point.

Common mistakes to watch

❌ See you in Monday.

✅ See you on Monday.

Days take on.

❌ She was born on 1998.

✅ She was born in 1998.

Years take in; specific dates take on.

❌ I’ll call you at next week.

✅ I’ll call you next week.

Next, last, this and every usually replace the preposition.

Practice: 10 questions

Write in, on, at or — for no preposition. Each sentence gives enough context for one best answer.

1. “The film starts ___ 8:30.”

2. “We have a test ___ Thursday.”

3. “My grandmother was born ___ 1952.”

4. “The keys are ___ the kitchen drawer.”

5. “There is a painting ___ the wall.”

6. “I’ll wait for you ___ the bus stop.”

7. “I usually study ___ the evening.”

8. “Her party is ___ 12 July.”

9. “We moved to Canada ___ last year.”

10. “He lives ___ a small town near the coast.”

Answers and explanations

1. at

💡 Clock times take at.

2. on

💡 Days of the week take on.

3. in

💡 Years take in.

4. in

💡 A drawer is an enclosed space.

5. on

💡 The painting touches a surface.

6. at

💡 The bus stop is a point where people meet.

7. in

💡 Parts of the day such as the morning and the evening take in. At night is the common exception.

8. on

💡 A specific date takes on.

9. —

💡 Last year needs no preposition.

10. in

💡 Towns and cities are treated as areas, so in fits.

Is it “at the weekend” or “on the weekend”?

Both are correct. At the weekend is more common in British English; on the weekend is more common in American English.

Why do we say “in the car” but “on the bus”?

We are usually in small vehicles we sit inside, such as a car or taxi, and on larger public transport we can walk around in, such as a bus, train or plane.

Keep learning

Read the full prepositions guide, practise since and for and see how small words change meaning.

Grammar reference: British Council on prepositions of time. The lesson explanations and practice questions are original.