Prepositions of Time & Place (In, On, At) – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are discussing a long-term family vacation schedule to avoid traffic and find the best weather. Choose the correct preposition of time or place (A, B, or C) to complete the conversation naturally.
1 I think we should go on our family vacation ______ the summer this year.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
2 The weather is usually perfect for hiking ______ August.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
3 We went to Japan ______ 2023, so let’s explore Europe this time.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
4 If we want to avoid the terrible highway traffic, we should leave early ______ the morning.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
5 I absolutely refuse to drive the car ______ night because the mountain roads are too dangerous.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
6 Do you want to start our road trip ______ the weekend, or wait until Monday?
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
7 Flight tickets are always much cheaper ______ the off-season.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
8 We can relax on the beach ______ the afternoon and go shopping later.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
9 I don’t want to travel ______ rush hour; we will be stuck in the car for hours.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
10 Since we are driving a long way, let’s stop at a nice roadside restaurant ______ midday.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
11 We should definitely book a hotel that is located ______ the mountains.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
12 I heard there is a beautiful festival there ______ the spring.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
13 We have to return home ______ August 25th so the kids can prepare for school.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
14 ______ the evening, we can build a campfire and roast marshmallows.
(A) At
(B) In
(C) On
15 If we manage to leave the house ______ dawn, we will reach the resort by 10:00 AM.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
16 We usually start our family trips ______ a Saturday, but the airports are too crowded then.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
17 Let’s schedule our museum tour for exactly ______ 2:30 PM.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
18 The kids are always extremely energetic ______ breakfast time.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
19 My sister will graduate from university ______ the 21st of century, wait no, I mean ______ July 15th!
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
20 Honestly, the most magical time to see the city lights is exactly ______ midnight.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) in
Explanation: We use “in” for seasons (e.g., in the summer, in winter).
2 (C) in
Explanation: We use “in” for months of the year (e.g., in August, in December).
3 (A) in
Explanation: We use “in” for years (e.g., in 2023, in 1999).
4 (B) in
Explanation: We use “in” for general parts of the day (e.g., in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening).
5 (B) at
Explanation: “At night” is a fixed exception in English. While we say “in the morning”, we must always say “at night”.
6 (B) at
Explanation: In British English (standard for CEFR), we say “at the weekend” or “at weekends”. (Note: “on the weekend” is used in American English, but “at” is the classic B1 target here).
7 (C) in
Explanation: “The off-season” is a long period of time (like a season), so we use “in” (e.g., in the off-season, in the holiday season).
8 (A) in
Explanation: As with the morning, we use “in” for “the afternoon”.
9 (A) at
Explanation: “Rush hour” is treated as a specific point in the daily schedule or an event, so we use “at” (e.g., at rush hour).
10 (C) at
Explanation: “Midday” is a specific clock time (12:00 PM), just like noon. We use “at” for exact times (e.g., at midday, at noon).
11 (C) in
Explanation: For large geographical areas like mountain ranges, forests, valleys, cities, and countries, we use “in” (e.g., in the mountains, in the Alps).
12 (A) in
Explanation: We use “in” for seasons (e.g., in the spring).
13 (C) on
Explanation: We use “on” for specific calendar dates (e.g., on August 25th). (B) is a common mistake for students who only see the word “August” and ignore the day.
14 (B) In
Explanation: We use “in” for general parts of the day (e.g., in the evening).
15 (C) at
Explanation: “Dawn” (sunrise) and “dusk” (sunset) are considered specific points in time, so we use “at” (e.g., at dawn, at dusk).
16 (C) on
Explanation: We use “on” for days of the week (e.g., on a Saturday, on Mondays).
17 (A) at
Explanation: We always use “at” for exact clock times (e.g., at 2:30 PM).
18 (C) at
Explanation: We use “at” for specific mealtimes (e.g., at breakfast, at lunchtime, at dinner).
19 (C) on
Explanation: Just like question 13, this is an exact date. We use “on” for specific dates (e.g., on July 15th).
20 (C) at
Explanation: “Midnight” is an exact clock time (12:00 AM). Therefore, we use “at” (e.g., at midnight).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The “IN” Rule (Long Periods of Time):
- Use IN when you are planning around long, broad blocks of time.
- Months: in January, in August.
- Seasons: in the summer, in the spring.
- Years: in 2024, in 1990
- Parts of the day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.
2 The Exceptions (Crucial for B1):
- Even though we say in the morning/afternoon/evening, we MUST say AT night.
- In standard British English, we say AT the weekend.
- For specific moments associated with the sun or the clock, use AT: at dawn (sunrise), at dusk (sunset), at midday, at noon, at midnight.
3 The “ON” Rule (Specific Days):
- As soon as a specific day or date is mentioned, the rule changes to ON.
- Example: “in August” changes to “on August 25th”.
- Example: “in the morning” changes to “on Saturday morning”.