In general, we use AT, IN and ON as preposition of place as following:
- at for a POINT
- in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
- on for a SURFACE
| AT | IN | ON |
| POINT | ENCLOSED SPACE | SURFACE |
| at the corner | in the garden | on the wall |
| at the bus stop | in London | on the ceiling |
| at the door | in France | on the door |
| at the top of the page | in a box | on the cover |
| at the end of the road | in my pocket | on the floor |
| at the entrance | in my wallet | on the carpet |
| at the crossroads | in a building | on the menu |
| at the front desk | in a car | on a page |
Look at these examples:
- Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
- The shop is at the end of the street.
- My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
- Jupiter is in the Solar System.
- There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.
- I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.
Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:
| AT | IN | ON |
| at home | in a car | on a bus |
| at work | in a taxi | on a train |
| at school | in a helicopter | on a plane |
| at university | in a boat | on a ship |
| at college | in a lift (elevator) | on a bicycle, on a motorbike |
| at the top | in the newspaper | on a horse, on an elephant |
| at the bottom | in the sky | on the radio, on television |
| at the side | in a row | on the left, on the right |
| at reception | in Oxford Street | on the way |
Moreover, we use AT, IN and ON as preposition of time as following:
- at for a PRECISE TIME
- in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
- on for DAYS and DATES
AT | IN | ON |
| PRECISE TIME | MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS | DAYS and DATES |
| at 3 o'clock | in May | on Sunday |
| at 10.30am | in summer | on Tuesdays |
| at noon | in the summer | on 6 March |
| at dinnertime | in 1990 | on 25 Dec. 2010 |
| at bedtime | in the 1990s | on Christmas Day |
| at sunrise | in the next century | on Independence Day |
| at sunset | in the Ice Age | on my birthday |
| at the moment | in the past/future | on New Year's Eve |
Look at these examples:
- I have a meeting at 9am.
- Jane went home at lunchtime.
- In England, it often snows in December.
- Do you work on Mondays?
- Her birthday is on 20 November.
- Where will you be on New Year's Day?
Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| at night | The stars shine at night. |
| at the weekend* | I don't usually work at the weekend. |
| at Christmas*/Easter | I stay with my family at Christmas. |
| at the same time | We finished the test at the same time. |
| at present | He's not home at present. Try later. |
Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:
| IN | ON |
| in the morning | on Tuesday morning |
| in the mornings | on Saturday mornings |
| in the afternoon(s) | on Sunday afternoons |
| in the evening(s) | on Monday evening |
When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on.
- I went to London last June. (not in last June)
- He's coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
- I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
- We'll call you this evening. (not in this evening)
*Note that in some varieties of English people say "on the weekend" and "on Christmas".
For a full list of 150 prepositions, including one-word and complex prepositions, with 370 example sentences, download the this free e-book English Prepositions Listed.
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