Here are the definition and examples of a preposition using “on,” “at,” and “in.”
PREPOSITION DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES – Here’s how to correctly use “on,” “at,” and “in” in a sentence, as they could sometimes be confusing.
There are several that make up parts of speech, and one of them is the preposition. It shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word, which indicates time, place, or relationship, and some of the most common words in our language that many people are often confused about when it comes to usage are “on,” “at,” and “in.”
They are all prepositions of place and prepositions of time, which makes them more confusing to use.
| “in” as a preposition of time | examples |
| instant and moment seconds, minutes, and hours amounts of days months seasons years groups of years (decades, centuries, etc.) the past, present, and future times of day: morning, afternoon, evening night (specific time) | in a few moments in a couple of minutes in five days in August in the summer in 3200 BCE in less than a decade in the future in the evening in the middle of the night |
| “in” as a preposition of place | examples |
| general locations locations within large places like cities, countries, and continents class the sky and atmosphere outer space | in the dining room in Tanzania in my third class in the blue sky in the farthest reaches of space |
| “on” as a preposition of time | examples |
| days of the week times of day used with days of the week yearly events like birthdays and holidays specific dates weekend (American English) | on Tuesday on Saturday evening on our anniversary on Lunar New Year on January 19 (on the 19th of January) on the weekend |
| “on” as a preposition of place | examples |
| things on the surface of something else (tables, walls, etc.) locations near a body of water mountains floors of a building corners streets planets | on the ceiling on the Amazon River on Mount Hood on the fifth floor on Main Street on Mars |
| “at” as a preposition of time | examples |
| clock times mealtimes times of day: dawn, dusk night (unspecific time) weekend (British English) | at 8 p.m. at dinner at dusk at night at the weekend |
| “at” as a preposition of place | examples |
| precise locations events specific addresses | at the dinner table at the homecoming dance at 720 Main Street |