Prepositions of Time & Place (In, On, At) – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are a news reporter covering a daring robbery that happened last night. Choose the correct preposition of time or place (A, B, or C) to complete your broadcast accurately.
1 Good evening. We begin tonight’s broadcast with breaking news. A daring robbery took place ______ the heart of the city.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
2 The incident occurred late ______ night, while most residents were fast asleep.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
3 According to the police, the bank’s silent alarm was triggered exactly ______ midnight.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
4 The target of the heist was the National Bank, located ______ 500 Republic Avenue.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
5 Security cameras show a suspicious white van parking ______ the street just minutes before the break-in.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
6 The thieves managed to break into the highly secured vault located ______ the basement of the building.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
7 A witness walking their dog saw two masked individuals standing ______ the corner of the bank.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
8 This bold and carefully planned crime happened ______ Tuesday.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
9 The criminals clearly knew that the bank transfers its main cash reserves ______ the end of the month.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
10 The suspects hid their heavy breaking tools ______ a large black duffel bag.
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
11 Crime scene investigators found a dropped flashlight lying ______ the floor near the back entrance.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
12 The getaway vehicle was later found completely abandoned ______ a dark, narrow alley.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
13 We must commend the local police, who arrived ______ the scene within just five minutes.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
14 A very similar robbery happened ______ 2021, but those suspects were never caught.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
15 The police chief gave a live press conference exactly ______ noon today to address public concerns.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
16 He stated that the department expects to make an arrest ______ the weekend.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
17 The stolen items include valuable jewelry that customers kept safely ______ the bank’s deposit boxes.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
18 The detectives will continue their deep investigation ______ the morning.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
19 Authorities are asking anyone who lives ______ the neighborhood to check their personal security cameras.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
20 We will broadcast more live updates and interviews ______ the 6:00 PM evening news.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) in
Explanation: When referring to the center or “heart” of a large geographical area like a city, we use “in” (e.g., in the city center, in the heart of the city).
2 (C) at
Explanation: “At night” is a fixed exception in English. Even though we say in the morning and in the afternoon, we must always say at night.
3 (A) at
Explanation: “Midnight” is an exact clock time (12:00 AM). Therefore, we use “at” (e.g., at midnight, at 3:00 AM).
4 (C) at
Explanation: When you provide an exact address with a specific building number, you must use “at” (e.g., at 500 Republic Avenue). If there were no number, it would be on Republic Avenue.
5 (C) on
Explanation: We use “on” for the names of streets and roads when viewing them as a flat surface or line (e.g., parking on the street).
6 (C) in
Explanation: A basement is an enclosed, 3-dimensional room. Therefore, you are “in the basement”.
7 (A) at
Explanation: The outside intersection where two streets or building walls meet is a specific point. We use “at the corner” to designate this meeting point.
8 (B) on
Explanation: We always use “on” for days of the week (e.g., on Tuesday, on Monday).
9 (C) at
Explanation: The phrase “at the end of [something]” refers to a specific point in time when an event or period finishes (e.g., at the end of the month, at the end of the movie).
10 (B) in
Explanation: A bag is a physical container. You put objects “in a bag”.
11 (C) on
Explanation: The floor is a flat surface. Objects rest “on the floor”.
12 (A) in
Explanation: An alley (a narrow street between buildings) acts as an enclosed, 3-dimensional space surrounding you. You park or stand “in an alley”.
13 (A) at
Explanation: “The scene” (of a crime or accident) is viewed as a specific dot or location on a map. Therefore, police arrive “at the scene”.
14 (C) in
Explanation: We use “in” for years, months, and seasons (e.g., in 2021, in winter).
15 (B) at
Explanation: “Noon” is an exact clock time (12:00 PM). Just like midnight, we use “at” (e.g., at noon).
16 (B) at
Explanation: In standard British English (the standard for CEFR B1), we say “at the weekend”. (Note: “On the weekend” is used in American English).
17 (B) in
Explanation: A deposit box is a 3-dimensional container. You put jewelry “in a box”.
18 (A) in
Explanation: For broad, general parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening), we use “in” (e.g., in the morning).
19 (C) in
Explanation: A neighborhood is a large geographical area with boundaries. You live “in a neighborhood”.
20 (B) on
Explanation: For television broadcasts, radio shows, the internet, and screens, we treat them as digital surfaces and use “on” (e.g., on the news, on TV, on the radio).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 Time Transitions (The “AT” Exceptions):
- As a B1 student, you know we use IN for long periods (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening).
- However, for exact transition points in the day, you MUST use AT.
- Examples: at noon (exactly 12:00 PM), at midnight (exactly 12:00 AM), at dawn (sunrise), at dusk (sunset), and at night.
2 Identifying “The Scene” vs. “The Room”:
- Use AT when referring to an event’s location as a general point on a map. (The police arrived at the scene. / They are at the bank.)
- Use IN when emphasizing the enclosed 3D space inside a building. (The vault is in the basement. / The tools were in the bag.)
3 Digital and Media Surfaces:
- Always use ON for broadcasts and media networks. You watch things on the news, on TV, on the internet, and hear them on the radio.