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time and dates

We use phrases with prepositions as time adverbials:

• We use at with:

clock times: at seven o’clock - at nine thirty - at fifteen hundred hoursmealtimes: at breakfast - at lunchtime - at teatime

… and in these phrases:

at night - at the weekend - at Christmas - at Easter

• We use in with:

seasons of the year: in spring/summer/autumn/winter - in the spring /summer/autumn/winteryears and centuries: in 2009 -in 1998 - in the twentieth centurymonths: in January/February/March etc.parts of the day: in the morning - in the afternoon - in the evening.

• We use on with:

days: on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday etc - on Christmas day - on my birthday.dates: on the thirty first of July - on June 15th

Note: We say at night when we are talking about all of the night:

When there is no moon it is very dark at night.He sleeps during the day and works at night.

but we say in the night when we are talking about a short time during the night:

He woke up twice in the night.I heard a funny noise in the night.

We use the adverb ago with the past simple to say how long before the time of speaking something happened:

I saw Jim about three weeks ago.We arrived a few minutes ago.

We can put time phrases together:

We will meet next week at six o’clock on Monday. I heard a funny noise at about eleven o’clock last night.It happened last week at seven o’clock on Monday night.

(http://gamedata.bcdev.org.uk/d/GapFillDragAndDrop_NDQ1MQ==.xml)

(/en/users/sksinha)

(/en/users/kirk)

COMMENTS

sksinha (/en/users/sksinha) replied on 20 June, 2014 - 13:28 India PERMALINK (/EN/COMMENT/61643#COMMENT-61643)

Hello!Please check the following three sentences and reply whether they are correct grammatically.

(i) What colour is milk?(ii) What time the train leaves?(iii) Which platform the train leaves?

Apart from "last, this and next" what are the other conditions when a preposition is omitted?

Regards.

Sksinha

Kirk (/en/users/kirk) replied on 21 June, 2014 - 10:02 Spain PERMALINK (/EN/COMMENT/61681#COMMENT-61681)

Hi sksinha,

The verb forms are incorrect in 2 and 3 - the auxiliary verb do/does is used in questions in the present simple tense: "What time does the train leave?" and"Which platform does the train leave from?". I'm afraid I don't understand your last question - could you please give an example of what you mean?

Best wishes,KirkThe LearnEnglish Team

0Páči sa mi to

(/en/users/cristy13)

(/en/users/kirk)

(/en/users/sdgnour2014)

(/en/users/kirk)

(/en/users/meheee2008uiu)

(/en/users/peter-m)

cristy13 (/en/users/cristy13) replied on 26 May, 2014 - 05:30 Philippines PERMALINK

(/EN/COMMENT/60596#COMMENT-60596)

I would like to ask why do we say at Christmas?but not at Halloween,at New Year's Eve?

Thank you very much :)

Kirk (/en/users/kirk) replied on 26 May, 2014 - 08:00 Spain PERMALINK (/EN/COMMENT/60600#COMMENT-60600)

Hello cristy13,

This is mostly just a matter of how English speakers have come to speak, though it might help to think that at + a holiday generally indicates a holiday season(i.e. the period of time around the holiday, more than one day), whereas on is used for a specific day. This is not a rule that describes all the ways prepositionsare used with holidays, but it might help you remember them.

Good luck!

Best wishes,KirkThe LearnEnglish Team

sdgnour2014 (/en/users/sdgnour2014) replied on 3 April, 2014 - 16:33 Sudan PERMALINK

(/EN/COMMENT/58312#COMMENT-58312)

Hello, is it right to say?

1- I called him at six o'clock in the morning2- We visited him on Monday morning.3- I will be on holiday on Monday, June 13th, 2014 To July 14th,2014.4- you have to take this medicine on the second week.5- I will take the present with me at breakfast time at six o'clock.6- I will finish this work in spring.

Kirk (/en/users/kirk) replied on 6 April, 2014 - 09:34 Spain PERMALINK (/EN/COMMENT/58420#COMMENT-58420)

Hi sdgnour2014,

Sentences 1, 2 and 5 are correct. In 3, I'd suggest "from Monday...." instead of "on Monday....". In 4, I'd suggest "in" instead of "on", and in 6 "in the spring"instead of "in spring".

Best wishes,

KirkThe LearnEnglish Team

meheee2008uiu (/en/users/meheee2008uiu) replied on 2 February, 2014 - 07:32 Bangladesh PERMALINK

(/EN/COMMENT/55522#COMMENT-55522)

Hi DearIs this sentece is correct or not? Please explane it if one is wrong.Thanks

Peter M (/en/users/peter-m) replied on 2 February, 2014 - 07:53 Poland PERMALINK

(/EN/COMMENT/55523#COMMENT-55523)

Hi meheee2008uiu,

Which sentence do you mean? It looks like you may have forgotton to include the sentence which you wanted to ask about! Please reply to this, including thesentence you are not sure about.

Best wishes,

(/en/users/meheee2008uiu)

(/en/users/kirk)

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

meheee2008uiu (/en/users/meheee2008uiu) replied on 3 February, 2014 - 10:31 Bangladesh PERMALINK

(/EN/COMMENT/55573#COMMENT-55573)

Sorry Peter, I have really forgotten to mention the sentence. It is "Furthermore, we also committed, all of we will meet in the next Monday at 6:30 p.m. atSylpocola Academy".

Kirk (/en/users/kirk) replied on 4 February, 2014 - 12:52 Spain PERMALINK

(/EN/COMMENT/55635#COMMENT-55635)

Hello meheee2008uiu,

I think I've understood what you mean in your sentence. Here is what I would suggest: "Furthermore, all of us committed to meeting next Monday at6:30pm at Sylpocola Academy."

I wanted to point out that when referring to a day of the week, the preposition on is generally used. In this sentence, on was not used becausewhen next or last precedes a day (or other period of time), generally no preposition is used. If you have questions about any other of the changes Imade, please ask and we'll be happy to explain them.

Best wishes,

KirkThe LearnEnglish Team