Prepositions for Time: Relating "When"

Prepositions for Time

Relating "When"

In – On – At

IN		ON		AT
Use in for larger periods of time. (> a day)		Use on for smaller amount of time. (≤ a day)		Use at for a precise time. (≥ a minute)

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		EXPRESSIONS	at the end of the day, week, month, year
CENTURY	in the 18th century				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		on the dot (exactly on time) on time on Sunday mornings (Mon. Tues., Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat.) on summer/ winter evenings on summer/ winter mornings on a summer/ winter schedule on Daylight Savings Time		at the summer/ winter soltice at high noon at the drop of a hat (right away) at a moment's notice (immediate)

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

By X time

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)

See By the time

On time vs. In time

ON TIME	IN TIME
A specific time, not before or later than this time.	A time before or slightly after the appointed 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 arrived in time to see the movie. (We missed the previews but saw the movie.)

Prepositions

Introductory Phrases

Emphasizing time

EMPHASIS PLACEMENT	NORMAL PLACEMENT
Often we move a time adverb (prepositional phrase ) to the front of the sentence to emphasize the time, or to use the time as a parallel lead-in (for two or more sentences.)	When the time adverb is moved after the verb, the phrase is in its normal, nonemphasis position.
In the morning, I like to eat something that is light.	I like to eat something that is light in the morning.
In the afternoon, I am ready for a big meal of meat or vegetables.	I am ready for a big meal of meat and vegetables In the afternoon.
In the evening, I like to eat leftovers and then something sweet with a cup of tea.	I like to eat leftovers and then something sweet with a cup of tea In the evening.

Practice

Travel

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 RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
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 of 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.

Practice 2

Early to bed, Early to Rise

Read for errors

Ancient civilizations adjusted daily schedules to the sun. For example, Roman water clocks had different amounts of times for different months in the year. Rome's third hour from sunrise, hora tertia, started at 09:02 solar time and lasted 44 minutes in the winter solstice, but in the summer solstice started at 06:58 and lasted 75 minutes. Unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some Mount Athos monasteries in Greece.

In 1784, Benjamin Franklin proposed taxing the use of shutters and candles, or ringing church bells to wake up lazy people who were sleeping late on the morning during the summertime. However, Benjamin Franklin did not propose adjusting the clocks because, like ancient Rome, 18th-century Europe did not keep precise schedules on that time. Much later, communication networks required time standardization, and travel required people to be on time.

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." — Benjamin Franklin

Then on 1895, George Hudson, from New Zealand, proposed Daylight Savings Time (DST) in a paper to a philosophical society. He argued that people could take better advantage of the daylight if they got up two hours earlier in summer mornings. On April, 17, 1916, Brandon, Manitoba became the first location in the world to use DST. Shortly after that, in April 1916, Germany and its World War I allies began DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime. The Allies and the US adopted DST in the end of the war in 1918. Since then, the world has seen many adjustments to DST.

A move to "permanent daylight saving time" (staying in summer hours all year with no time shifts) is sometimes talked about. In fact, the United Kingdom stayed on daylight saving time from 1968 to 1971. However, quite a few countries have never used DST such as Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Venezuela. Similarly, equatorial countries, like Equador, find no benefit to the time change as they have an equal number of daylight hours on summer and in winter.

adjust (v.) – change
propose (v.) – suggest something in an official way
solstice – either of the two times a year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator

Edit the text.

Read the sentence and edit the preposition error (if there is one.)
Check your response by clicking the "check" button to the right.

#	EDIT THE SENTENCE	CHECK ANSWER
19.	Ancient civilizations adjusted daily schedules to the sun. For example, Roman water clocks had different amounts of times for different months on the year. EDIT THIS: Ancient civilizations adjusted daily schedules to the sun. For example, Roman water clocks had different amounts of times for different months on the year.
20.	Rome's third hour from sunrise, hora tertia, started by modern standards at 09:02 solar time and lasted 44 minutes in the winter solstice, but in the summer solstice started at 06:58 and lasted 75 minutes. EDIT THIS: Rome's third hour from sunrise, hora tertia, started by modern standards at 09:02 solar time and lasted 44 minutes in the winter solstice, but in the summer solstice started at 06:58 and lasted 75 minutes.
21.	In 1784, Benjamin Franklin proposed taxing the use of shutters and candles, or ringing church bells to wake up lazy people who were sleeping late on the morning during the summertime. EDIT THIS: In 1784, Benjamin Franklin proposed taxing the use of shutters and candles, or ringing church bells to wake up lazy people who were sleeping late on the morning during the summertime.
22.	However, Benjamin Franklin did not propose adjusting the clocks because, like ancient Rome, 18th-century Europe did not keep precise schedules on that time. EDIT THIS: However, Benjamin Franklin did not propose adjusting the clocks because, like ancient Rome, 18th-century Europe did not keep precise schedules on that time.
23.	Much later, communication networks required time standardization, and travel required people to be in time. EDIT THIS: Much later, communication networks required time standardization, and travel required people to be in time.
24.	Then on 1895, George Hudson, from New Zealand, proposed Daylight Savings Tme (DST) in a paper to a philosophical society. EDIT THIS: Then on 1895, George Hudson, from New Zealand, proposed Daylight Savings Tme (DST) in a paper to a philosophical society.
25.	He argued that people could take better advantage of the daylight if they got up two hours earlier in summer mornings. EDIT THIS: He argued that people could take better advantage of the daylight if they got up two hours earlier in summer mornings.
26.	At April, 17, 1916, Brandon, Manitoba became the first location in the world to use DST. EDIT THIS: At April, 17, 1916, Brandon, Manitoba became the first location in the world to use DST.
27.	Shortly after that, in April 1916, Germany and its World War I allies began DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime. EDIT THIS: Shortly after that, in April 1916, Germany and its World War I allies began DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime.
28.	The Allies and the US adopted DST in the end of the war in 1918. EDIT THIS: The Allies and the US adopted DST in the end of the war in 1918.
29.	A move to "permanent daylight saving time" (staying in summer hours all year with no time shifts) is sometimes talked about. EDIT THIS: A move to "permanent daylight saving time" (staying in summer hours all year with no time shifts) is sometimes talked about.
30.	Similarly, equatorial countries, like Equador, find no benefit to the time change as they have an equal number of daylight hours on summer and in winter. EDIT THIS: Similarly, equatorial countries, like Equador, find no benefit to the time change as they have an equal number of daylight hours on summer and in winter.

Wikipedia contributors. "Daylight saving time." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time

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