Prepositions of time in English

When talking about time, specifying dates, days, or longer periods of time, we need a part of speech called the preposition. Prepositions are connecting words which introduce one thing’s relationship with another. In this case, we will be talking mostly about the speaker’s relationship with a certain period of, or point in, time. We use three prepositions to talk about time. They are in, at, and on. We use each one to talk about different demarcations of time. Memorizing the rules of how to use each one will make conversation much easier: In We use in to talk about: Months In four months, I will be on tour in Iraq. Years I haven’t been home in about 3 years. Centuries The Normans invaded Ireland in the 12th century. Seasons In the winter, we will head south to Florida to stay warm. At We use at to talk about: Precise time At 3 o’clock we will go to the school to get ready for the show. On We use on to talk about: Days On Thursday, we will go to the gym to lift weights. Dates On the 20th of January we will celebrate the birthday of activist Martin Luther King, Jr. While these rules may seem strange and even arbitrary, they have developed over hundreds of years of the evolution of colloquial speech. When it comes to more confusing concepts (such as prepositions), the only way to become familiar with their disparate uses and their usage in conversation is to memorize the rules and attempt to use them in conversation as often as possible. Listening to native speakers often is always a good thing as well, whether or the radio, internet or television, when actual conversation is not feasible or difficult to find.