Prepositions Made Easy: In, On, and At (with Video!)
Are prepositions really so difficult? What if I told you that IN JUST 5 MINUTES I could help you solve some of your most confusing preposition problems?
English learners everywhere are confused about prepositions, and English learners every always say it’s one of their biggest difficulties. But with the right strategies, prepositions DO NOT need to be so complicated. If you take a few minutes to learn a few tricks, and visualize the problem in a new way, your experience learning prepositions will be a lot easier. This is gonna be fun! Ready?
Today, we’re going to explore how the prepositions AT, ON, and IN are used with TIME and PLACE, and use a formula that works in around 90% of cases. It’s not perfect, but it gives you a great foundation to learn the exceptions.
Given the fact that most people are visual learners, and most prepositions are best taught in a visual way, we’ll also use graphic organizers and a video lesson to teach this.
Watch A Video Lesson on This
The Inverted Pyramid
Before we explain a bit more, let’s take a good look at the picture one more time below. Try to get a general idea of the organization and proportion.
The first thing I want you to recognize, and try your best to visualize as you learn these, there is a general flow with both time and location from general to specific. We’re going to explain it in the following way, first with time, then with location:
- The TOP, which is BIGGER and more GENERAL (IN)
- The MIDDLE, which is SMALLER and MORE SPECIFIC (ON)
- The BOTTOM, which is SMALLEST and the MOST SPECIFIC (AT)
Prepositions of Time
IN- The pyramid’s TOP (wider), which is BIGGER and more GENERAL:
- Description: Bigger periods of time: Centuries, Decades, Years, Months
- Examples: in the 20th century, in the 1980’s, in March, in the third week of April, in the future
- Exceptions: in the morning, in the evening, in the afternoon
ON- The pyramid’s MIDDLE part, which is SMALLER and MORE SPECIFIC:
- Description: Days, or periods of time shorter than three days
- Examples: on my birthday, on Saturday, on the weekend (United States), on June 8th
- Exceptions: on my lunch break, on time
AT- The pyramid’s BOTTOM (pointed), the SMALLEST, and the MOST SPECIFIC:
- Description: Specific times or small time periods.
- Examples: at 9:00 PM, at lunch, at dinner, at the start of the party, at sunrise, at the start of the movie, at the moment
- Exceptions: at night, at the weekend (England)
Prepositions of Location
IN – The TOP (wider), which is BIGGER and more GENERAL:
- Description: In larger areas (countries, states, cities, neighborhoods)
- Examples: in the United States, in Miami, in my neighborhood
- Exceptions: in downtown (“I work in downtown”)
ON – The MIDDLE, which is SMALLER and MORE SPECIFIC:
- Description: a longer area, street, beach, river
- Examples: on Broadway Street, on the beach, on my street
AT – The pyramid’s BOTTOM (pointed), the SMALLEST, and the MOST SPECIFIC:
- Description: the address or specific location, specific points.
- Examples: at 345 broadway street, at the store, at my house
Prepositions of Placement
The mind map pyramid below explains TIME in the same way we did above (only this one is not inverted), but it also introduces prepositions PLACE/PLACEMENT, which we will focus on here.
IN – for enclosed spaces and personal modes of transportation
- Enclosed Space: in the kitchen, in the house, the water is in the glass
- Personal Modes of Transportation: get in the car, my friend is in the taxi
ON – for surfaces and public modes of transportation
- Surfaces: on the floor, on the wall, the book is on the table, on a page, I put on my clothes (my clothes are on my body)
- Public Modes of Transportation: on the bus, on the plane, on a boat, on a ship,
- Exceptions: on my motorcycle, on my bike (these are personal modes of transportation, but we use “on”)
AT – for specific point (the same as prepositions of location)
- at the bus stop, at the cinema, at the corner, at the top of the hill, at the mall
Becoming Friends With Prepositions
Again, these rules are not an exact science, but they will help you get past 90% of the preposition confusion that most people encounter with IN, ON, and AT.
After you learn these techniques, you will not only speak a lot better, and with a lot more confidence, but the final 5 to 10% of prepositions won’t seem too hard. It will probably take some study time and some memorization of collocations (“in the kitchen,” “at the mall,” but you will see that it’s a lot more manageable. The point is that you don’t want to be thinking about the rules too much when you’re communicating.
This will help make most of the process unconscious and automatic, which is exactly what fluency is.
You can use Anki, a really effective vocabulary study tool, or other free study resources that can make your process a lot easier to learn using these prepositions. Another thing that will naturally help is reading and making English a part of your life.
These are all very important parts of the Real Life English methodology. Make sure you grab a copy of our popular e-book, 101 Words You Won’t Learn at School.
hey, i loved it.
since now, i’ll study and consult this!
Tks
Dear Justin, thanks a lot for this. I am sure it will help many. I was reading your post, and the explanation on how to use "in" and "on". I have also heard that "in" is used for small means of transportation and "on" for larger ones. Do you agree? For example: one should say on a tractor, not in a tractor, right? Thanks in advance for your time.
Dear Justin, thanks a lot for this. I am sure it will help many. I was reading your post, and the explanation on how to use "in" and "on". I have also heard that "in" is used for small means of transportation and "on" for larger ones. Do you agree? For example: one should say on a tractor, not in a tractor, right? Thanks in advance for your time.
Yeah I think you're right, Paulo! I'm gonna have to use your input to improve the article. Thank you for commenting.
Thanks a lot for your reply, Justin. I was also told the following on Facebook by Miracel Juanta (which I deem it is very clarifying): "'hi, paulo. if you can stand and move around the vehicle, then you use "on". so you say, "in a tractor" because you cannot stand and move around the tractor."'
thank u so much.
I'd like to have it printed.
It’s worth a try to make easyer the explanation about such a trick subject lile prepositions – at least for Brazilians. However, in my view, the pyramid would be useful only if we could take it printed in our pocket!
very useful, thanks.
Dear Justin, thanks a lot for this information.
Best regards
Ahmed Qeran…from saudia arabia
I'm very delighted that your explanation is similar to mine. Best regards
Your post very good , thank you very much.
thank you so much…very useful to all learners…we love you!
how r u florwrencia
fine bro and you?
This video is helpful for me, thanks so much.
It is great
I am ayoung lady.I have never used this site before…and I dont know how to use it.Im trying to do my language arts homework.I DONT KNOW HOW TO DO IT THO!!
some one help me plzzz!!
???? ???? who r u??
i feel stupid
This is really helpful to me. Thanks a lot.
Thanks a lot for magnificent knowledge as above
hi .ready to help from Egypt
really very enjoyable and benficial for all learners.
How can I help?
How can I help?
How can I help?
thanks a lot for your nice work
We do not say “on the weekend,” we say, “at the weekend.”
Where are you from, Paul? I’m American and we say “on the weekend.” I did, however, mention the British use of “at the weekend” in the video. Thanks for watching and commenting.
ready to help from Mongolia
Thanks
[…] Explicación de Real English (pirámide) The image used is a modification of the The Atonin Time Pyramid from Marcelo Montecinos at phrazzleme.com – See more at: http://reallifebh.com/prepositions-made-easy-in-on-and-at#sthash.ybw00eC9.dpuf […]
Paulo Franca I am still a bit confuse about your explanation, sister. Once you said it's better to use "on" for a larger means of transportation i.e.: on a tractor, then in the next comment you said tractor has preposition "in" not "on". Could you tell me the difference between "on tractor" and "in tractor"?. Thanks in advance
Mardiyya El-Hazeema Hi, Mardiyya. Your BROTHER, Paulo, has the following information for you: if you can stand and move/walk inside a vehicle you can use "on". If you cannot move/walk inside the vehicle you should use "in', instead. So, please use "in" a tractor, not "on". I hope you can move away from your doubts now. Best regards.
Paulo Franca Oh, Thank you very much for the clarifying explanation, brother. It's really helpful for me. And I'm so sorry to call you "sister", I didn't notice your profile picture and just focused reading your comments so I lost a chance to know you're man. Hopefully you don't mind, brother. Thank you
Thanks a million!
Thank you..I can fly with the students easily now(lol)
Thank you for this. You have wonderful diagrams that will be really helpful explaining prepositions to my students. THANK YOU!
Thank you for examples of prepositions and words encouragement for we. I am glad and to learned english with you.
[…] English Grammar Review in, on, at […]
Justin, you're the best! Great video!
exellent, thanks a lot
Thanks, it is now easier 🙂
excellent, all my doubts were taken, tank you.
Thank you very much for sharing.
now easier jejeje, Thanks for end I understand the prepositions
I have not found anything better! Thank you so much for your hard work and simple but easy to understand explanation. Can I use your work to teach my students who perpetually find prepositions one of the hardest hurdles to cross over? I'll credit my notes to you though. Please…:)
Very descriptive post, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part
2?
Preposition learn in easy way.
Couldn't be more satisfied with lecture when it comes to preposition.
amazing , thanks
great!
thank you… I'm from near Seattle also.
thats so awesome i was seeking of info like this
thanks
it is fantastic and useful
I teach English and this is a GREAT way to break it all down! Thanks Real English 🙂
very very helpful. thank u sir.
In a millisecond.
I love it!!! Excellent!
i like it.