Prepositions of time

Explanations Example

on o days o Many shops don't open on Sundays.

in o months / seasons / year o I visited

o morning / evening / Italy in July, in spring, in 1994
afternoon o In the evenings, I like to relax.
o period of time o This is the first cigarette I've
had in three years.

at o night o It gets cold at night.

o weekend (British English) o What did you do at the weekend?
o used to show an exact or a o There's a meeting at 2.30 this
particular time: afternoon / at lunch time.

since o from a particular time in o England have not won the World Cup
the past until a later time, in football since1966
or until now

for o used to show an amount of o I'm just going to bed for an hour or
time. so.

ago o back in the past; back in o The dinosaurs died out 65 million
time from the present: years ago.

before o at or during a time earlier o She's always up before dawn.

than

to o used when saying the time, o It's twenty to six.

to mean before the stated
hour

past o telling the time o five past ten

to o until a particular time, o It's only two weeks to Christmas.

marking end of a period of
time

from o used to show the time o The museum is open from 9.30 to
when something starts 6.00 Tuesday to Sunday.

till / o up to (the time that) o We waited till / until half past six for
until you.

by o not later than; at or before o She had promised to be back by five

o'clock.