Prepositions for Time: Relating "When"

IN		ON		AT
Use in for larger periods of time.		Use in for smaller periods of time.		Use at for precise periods of time.

MONTH	in June	DAY	on March 1, 2009	HOUR	at noon, midnight
YEAR	in 2005	WEEK DAY	on Tuesday	TIME OF DAY	at 3:00 a.m.
DECADE	in the 1990s	EXPRESSIONS	on the dot (exactly on time)	EXPRESSIONS	at the end of the day, week, month, year
CENTURY	in the 18th century		on time		at the beginning of the day, week, month
ERA	in the pleistocene era
EXPRESSIONS	in a second in a minute in a while in the morning in the evening in time in the beginning of time *once in a blue moon

*Once a year there are two full moons in one month.

IN, ON, AT	BY
A specific time – not earlier or later.	A time before but not later than this time.
I had to be there at noon to catch the bus. (exactly)	I had to be there by noon to catch the bus. (no later)
We arrived at their house on Wednesday evening. (exactly)	We arrived at their house by Wednesday evening. (no later)
He reached Istanbul in June, 1906. (exactly)	He reached Istanbul by June, 1906. (no later)

ON TIME	IN TIME
A specific time, no later.	An acceptable time that still permits doing the activity.
Please get here on time for your meeting.	Please get here in time to see him before he leaves.
The plane departed on time.	We arrived just in time to catch the plane. (We were last to get on.)
We arrived on time to see the movie. (We saw the movie and the Previews.)	We were arrived in time to see the movie. (We saw the movie, but missed the Previews.)

Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

#	YOUR ANSWER	CHECK
e.g.	Travel the 19th century was quite different from now.
1.	the 1800s, people traveled by horse and carriage.
2.	A hundred mile trip might be completed two days.
3.	Nowadays, a person can be hundreds of miles away just a couple hours.
4.	John has a business trip a few days.
5.	a week, he will go to London on business.
6.	He has to get there time for his speech at a conference.
7.	The conference begins April 6th, 2008.
8.	His session will take place later the afternoon.
9.	The session begins 3:30 p.m.
10.	However, he has to get there earlier, time to prepare.
11.	He will start his talk at 3:30, time.
12.	Some people dislike speakers who start the dot.
13.	the beginning of his speeches, he always feels a bit nervous.
14.	a few minutes, he calms down and gets comfortable.
15.	modern times, professionals have to travel a lot.
16.	After the work day is over, John likes to go out night.
17.	He comes home midnight.
18.	He is ready to go back to work the morning.

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