Prepositions of Time and Place: When and Where to Use Them

Introduction: What Are We Learning Today?

Have you ever said “I’ll meet you at 5 o’clock” or “My shoes are under the table”?
If yes, then congratulations! You already know something about prepositions of time and place.

Prepositions are little words that show where something is or when something happens. Even though they look small, they are powerful because they help us build clear and correct sentences.

In this lesson, we will learn:

✔ What prepositions of time and place mean
✔ When to use at, in, on, under, across, between, behind, near and more
✔ How to avoid common mistakes
✔ Practice with exercises, quizzes & activities

By the end, you will speak and write more confidently, like a grammar hero!

What Are Prepositions? Definition in Simple Words

A preposition works like a bridge, connecting a noun or pronoun to other parts of the sentence smoothly. We use prepositions to tell:

Time: WHEN something happens

Example:

• at 7 pm
• on Monday
• in December

Place: WHERE something is

Example:

• in the room
• on the table
• under the chair

Think of prepositions as direction signs in language.
They guide us to time and place.

Deep Explanation Step-by-Step

Let’s break it into two main groups:

Prepositions of Time (WHEN?)

Preposition	Use When Talking About…
at	exact time, holidays
on	days & dates
in	months, years, long periods

✔ Use “AT” for exact, specific time

Examples:

• at 6 o’clock
• at midnight
• at lunchtime

✔ Use “ON” for days & calendar dates

Examples:

• on Monday
• on my birthday
• on July 10

✔ Use “IN” for longer periods

Examples:

• in January
• in 2025
• in the morning

Prepositions of Place (WHERE?)

Preposition	Meaning / Use
in	inside something
on	on a surface
at	location or point
under	below something
behind	at the back
between	in the middle of two things
next to / beside	near or close
inside / outside	within or out

✔ Use IN for inside spaces

• in the classroom
• in the bag

✔ Use ON for surfaces

• on the table
• on the wall

✔ Use AT for points or places

• at the bus stop
• at home

Examples Table — 20+ Examples

Sentence	Preposition Type
I wake up at 7 am.	Time
We play football on Saturday.	Time
School opens in September.	Time
My birthday is on May 3rd.	Time
She sleeps at night.	Time
The keys are on the table.	Place
The cat is under the chair.	Place
Birds are in the sky.	Place
The park is near my house.	Place
The dog is behind the door.	Place
The book lies between two bags.	Place
We meet at the station.	Place
He arrived in the evening.	Time
They study in Pakistan.	Place
The picture is on the wall.	Place
We vacation in summer.	Time
She sits beside me.	Place
He plays outside the house.	Place
I will call you at noon.	Time
My bag is in the car.	Place
We eat cake on Eid day.	Time

Rules + Sentence Patterns

Prepositions of Time

• AT + exact time
  at 6:30 / at night
• ON + days/dates
  on Friday / on 14 August
• IN + months/seasons/years
  in June / in 2026 / in winter

Prepositions of Place

• IN + inside place → in the room
• ON + surface → on the floor
• AT + point or place → at the office
• UNDER + below → under the bed
• BETWEEN + two things → between A and B
• NEAR/NEXT TO/BESIDE + close → near the river

Why It Matters

Prepositions help us:

✔ Tell clear time
✔ Explain exact location
✔ Improve sentence structure
✔ Speak naturally like native English users

Without prepositions, language becomes confusing.

Common Mistakes & Fixes

❌ I go school in Monday.
✔ I go to school on Monday.

❌ The book is in the table.
✔ The book is on the table.

❌ We meet in 5 pm.
✔ We meet at 5 pm.

Remember:
AT = Specific time
ON = Day/date
IN = Bigger time periods

Exercises (20 Questions)

A) Fill in the blanks

1. I sleep ___ night.
2. The cat is ___ the sofa.
3. We play cricket ___ Sunday.
4. My birthday is ___ April.
5. He is waiting ___ the bus stop.
6. The book is ___ the shelf.
7. They will travel ___ 2026.
8. The toys are ___ the box.
9. She goes to school ___ 7 am.
10. The kids sit ___ each other.

B) Choose the correct word

11. I eat breakfast (in/on/at) morning.
12. The picture hangs (in/on/at) the wall.
13. We meet (in/on/at) Friday.
14. The dog slept (in/under/over) the table.
15. She was born (in/at/on) 2012.
16. The teacher stands (near/behind/under) the desk.
17. Stars shine (in/on/at) the sky.
18. He waits (in/on/at) the door.
19. They study (in/on/at) Pakistan.
20. School reopens (in/on/at) January.

Answer Key

1 at | 2 on | 3 on | 4 in | 5 at
6 on | 7 in | 8 in | 9 at | 10 beside
11 in | 12 on | 13 on | 14 under | 15 in
16 behind | 17 in | 18 at | 19 in | 20 in

Mini Quiz (10 Questions)

True or False:

1. We use on for dates.
2. We use in for exact time.
3. At is used for locations.

Multiple Choice:
4. We meet ___ 8 pm. (in/on/at)
5. She lives ___ London. (in/on/at)
6. My party is ___ Monday. (on/in/at)
7. The cat is ___ the bed. (under/on/between)
8. I was born ___ 2011. (at/in/on)
9. There is a pen ___ the table. (under/on/in)

Short Answer:
10. Write 1 sentence using in (place).

Creative Activity: Build a Short Story

Write a tiny story (5–7 lines) using at, in, on, under, near, behind.

Starter idea:

One sunny morning, Ali woke up at 7 am. He placed his watch on the table and looked for his shoes under the bed…

Add more and make it fun!

Summary: What Did You Learn?

Today you mastered:

⭐ Prepositions of time (at, on, in)
⭐ Prepositions of place (in, on, under, behind, near)
⭐ 20+ examples, rules & sentence patterns
⭐ Exercises + quiz + story activity

You are improving beautifully, keep going! 🌈✨