Photo by Ivan Shilov on Unsplash
at < on < in Concept
| Preposition | Range | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| At | Point | Exact place | sit at the table |
| On | Surface | In a certain range, but not at a specific point | on the street |
| In | Space | Inside a space | in a car |
Time Prepositions at < on < in
| At (Specific time point) | On (Specific date) | In (Within a period of time) |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| at 9 am | on Monday | in the morning |
| at 8 o’clock | on Saturday | in the afternoon |
| at 6 pm | on June 3rd | in (the) summer |
| at night | on 1st October 2013 | in 1950 |
| at noon/ midday | on Christmas day | in the 1900s |
| at Easter | on my birthday | in the 17th century |
| at Christmas | on Tuesday evening | in the Easter holiday |
| at dinner time | on time | in the next century |
| at dinner | on a winter evening | in the future |
| at that moment | on a warm day | in the 10 years time |
| On (Time equals 1 day) | In (Time more than 1 day) |
|---|---|
| on Sunday | in Summer |
| on July 3rd | in July |
Place Prepositions at < on < in
| At (Specific location) | On (On the range of location) | In (Inside location) |
|---|---|---|
| at 675 State Street | on a bus | in England |
| at the bus stop | on a plane | in Chinatown |
| at the door | on a horse | in a building |
| at the top of page | on the phone | in a car |
| at someone’s house | on the Internet | in a taxi |
| at the entrance | on the television | in a boat |
| at the crossroads | on the floor | in a helicopter |
| at the front | on the page | in a traffic jam |
| at the back | on the menu | in Time Square |
| at the bottom | on Oxford street | in the article |
Direction Prepositions on < in
| On (Outside location range) | In (Inside location) |
|---|---|
| Canada is on the north of US | New York is in the north of US |
Transportation Prepositions on < in
| On (Inside transportation, movable) | In (Inside transportation, immovable) |
|---|---|
| on the bus | in the car |
| on the train | in the taxi |
Other Prepositions
Towards…: to/ for
| Preposition | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | Specific target | buy it to you |
| for | General direction, not necessarily completed | buy it for you |
Next to…: with/ by
| Preposition | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| with | Accompanying beside | I am happy with the gift |
| by | By means of | I went there by train |
Belonging, Inclusion, Separation: of
| Preposition | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| of | Belongs to a part | the door of the room |