Prepositions In, On, At - ESL worksheet by lynnden - Free Printable
Educational worksheet: Prepositions In, On, At - ESL worksheet by lynnden. Download and print for classroom or home learning activities.
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Step-by-step solution for: Prepositions In, On, At - ESL worksheet by lynnden
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Prepositions In, On, At - ESL worksheet by lynnden
Let’s go through each sentence one by one and choose the correct preposition: at, in, or on.
We use:
- at for specific times (like 7 o’clock, midnight, noon)
- on for days and dates (like Monday, July 2nd, Sunday mornings)
- in for months, years, seasons, parts of the day (like January, 1953, winter, the morning)
---
1. He always gets up ___ seven o’clock in the morning.
→ “seven o’clock” is a specific time → at
2. Our flight to London leaves ___ the second of July.
→ “the second of July” is a date → on
3. Sharon’s birthday is ___ January.
→ “January” is a month → in
4. My grandfather was born ___ 1953.
→ “1953” is a year → in
5. I stayed up really late last night. I went to bed ___ midnight.
→ “midnight” is a specific time → at
6. Did you do anything special ___ your birthday?
→ “your birthday” = a specific day → on
7. Stewart usually goes cycling ___ the evenings after work.
→ “the evenings” = part of the day → in
8. In Canada, it always snows ___ winter.
→ “winter” = season → in
9. Would you like to join us for dinner ___ Thursday?
→ “Thursday” = day of the week → on
10. I like to read stories to my kids ___ bedtime.
→ “bedtime” = specific time → at
11. That store isn’t open ___ Sunday mornings.
→ “Sunday mornings” = specific day + part of day → on
12. We sometimes eat our lunch in the cafeteria ___ noon.
→ “noon” = specific time → at
13. Hurry up! The train will leave ___ a few minutes.
→ “a few minutes” = short future time → we say “in a few minutes” → in
14. My brother often goes swimming ___ the weekend.
→ “the weekend” = general time period → at (common in British English; American English sometimes uses “on”, but standard grammar here is at)
Wait — let’s double-check #14. Actually, both are used, but in most school worksheets, they teach:
- at the weekend (UK)
- on the weekend (US)
But since this worksheet doesn’t specify, and many international curricula use at, we’ll go with at. However, if you’re in the US, your teacher might expect on. But looking at common usage in such exercises, at is more traditional.
Actually — let me check again. Many modern textbooks accept on the weekend too. But to be safe, let’s see what fits best with the pattern. Since “weekend” is treated like a point in time, at is still acceptable. But I’ve seen both. Let’s pick at as per traditional grammar.
BUT — wait! Looking at question 11: “Sunday mornings” → on
So for “the weekend”, which is similar to a day-range, maybe on? Hmm.
Actually, let’s look it up mentally:
Standard rule:
- at for weekends (British): *at the weekend*
- on for weekends (American): *on the weekend*
Since the worksheet has “Sunday mornings” → on, and “Thursday” → on, probably they want on for weekend too? But no — “weekend” is not a single day.
I think the safest answer for school worksheets is at for “the weekend”. Let’s stick with at.
Wait — actually, I recall that in many ESL materials, they teach:
- at for “night”, “midnight”, “noon”, “weekend”
- on for days
So yes — at the weekend
But let’s confirm with number 14: “My brother often goes swimming ___ the weekend.” → at
15. Our classes finish at three ___ the afternoon.
→ “the afternoon” = part of the day → in
16. The Beatles were a popular music band ___ the 1960s.
→ “the 1960s” = decade/year range → in
17. I sometimes get up ___ sunrise and go exercise.
→ “sunrise” = specific time → at
18. What time does he go to work ___ the morning?
→ “the morning” = part of the day → in
19. Do you and your family ever go traveling ___ summer?
→ “summer” = season → in
20. What time do you go to bed ___ night?
→ “night” = part of the day → at (we say “at night”)
Wait — correction:
We say:
- in the morning/afternoon/evening
- at night
Yes — so #20: at
Now let’s list all answers:
1. at
2. on
3. in
4. in
5. at
6. on
7. in
8. in
9. on
10. at
11. on
12. at
13. in
14. at
15. in
16. in
17. at
18. in
19. in
20. at
Double-checking #14: “at the weekend” — yes, that’s correct in standard grammar taught in schools.
Also #13: “in a few minutes” — correct.
#17: “at sunrise” — yes, because it’s a specific moment.
#20: “at night” — yes.
All good.
Final Answer:
1. at
2. on
3. in
4. in
5. at
6. on
7. in
8. in
9. on
10. at
11. on
12. at
13. in
14. at
15. in
16. in
17. at
18. in
19. in
20. at
We use:
- at for specific times (like 7 o’clock, midnight, noon)
- on for days and dates (like Monday, July 2nd, Sunday mornings)
- in for months, years, seasons, parts of the day (like January, 1953, winter, the morning)
---
1. He always gets up ___ seven o’clock in the morning.
→ “seven o’clock” is a specific time → at
2. Our flight to London leaves ___ the second of July.
→ “the second of July” is a date → on
3. Sharon’s birthday is ___ January.
→ “January” is a month → in
4. My grandfather was born ___ 1953.
→ “1953” is a year → in
5. I stayed up really late last night. I went to bed ___ midnight.
→ “midnight” is a specific time → at
6. Did you do anything special ___ your birthday?
→ “your birthday” = a specific day → on
7. Stewart usually goes cycling ___ the evenings after work.
→ “the evenings” = part of the day → in
8. In Canada, it always snows ___ winter.
→ “winter” = season → in
9. Would you like to join us for dinner ___ Thursday?
→ “Thursday” = day of the week → on
10. I like to read stories to my kids ___ bedtime.
→ “bedtime” = specific time → at
11. That store isn’t open ___ Sunday mornings.
→ “Sunday mornings” = specific day + part of day → on
12. We sometimes eat our lunch in the cafeteria ___ noon.
→ “noon” = specific time → at
13. Hurry up! The train will leave ___ a few minutes.
→ “a few minutes” = short future time → we say “in a few minutes” → in
14. My brother often goes swimming ___ the weekend.
→ “the weekend” = general time period → at (common in British English; American English sometimes uses “on”, but standard grammar here is at)
Wait — let’s double-check #14. Actually, both are used, but in most school worksheets, they teach:
- at the weekend (UK)
- on the weekend (US)
But since this worksheet doesn’t specify, and many international curricula use at, we’ll go with at. However, if you’re in the US, your teacher might expect on. But looking at common usage in such exercises, at is more traditional.
Actually — let me check again. Many modern textbooks accept on the weekend too. But to be safe, let’s see what fits best with the pattern. Since “weekend” is treated like a point in time, at is still acceptable. But I’ve seen both. Let’s pick at as per traditional grammar.
BUT — wait! Looking at question 11: “Sunday mornings” → on
So for “the weekend”, which is similar to a day-range, maybe on? Hmm.
Actually, let’s look it up mentally:
Standard rule:
- at for weekends (British): *at the weekend*
- on for weekends (American): *on the weekend*
Since the worksheet has “Sunday mornings” → on, and “Thursday” → on, probably they want on for weekend too? But no — “weekend” is not a single day.
I think the safest answer for school worksheets is at for “the weekend”. Let’s stick with at.
Wait — actually, I recall that in many ESL materials, they teach:
- at for “night”, “midnight”, “noon”, “weekend”
- on for days
So yes — at the weekend
But let’s confirm with number 14: “My brother often goes swimming ___ the weekend.” → at
15. Our classes finish at three ___ the afternoon.
→ “the afternoon” = part of the day → in
16. The Beatles were a popular music band ___ the 1960s.
→ “the 1960s” = decade/year range → in
17. I sometimes get up ___ sunrise and go exercise.
→ “sunrise” = specific time → at
18. What time does he go to work ___ the morning?
→ “the morning” = part of the day → in
19. Do you and your family ever go traveling ___ summer?
→ “summer” = season → in
20. What time do you go to bed ___ night?
→ “night” = part of the day → at (we say “at night”)
Wait — correction:
We say:
- in the morning/afternoon/evening
- at night
Yes — so #20: at
Now let’s list all answers:
1. at
2. on
3. in
4. in
5. at
6. on
7. in
8. in
9. on
10. at
11. on
12. at
13. in
14. at
15. in
16. in
17. at
18. in
19. in
20. at
Double-checking #14: “at the weekend” — yes, that’s correct in standard grammar taught in schools.
Also #13: “in a few minutes” — correct.
#17: “at sunrise” — yes, because it’s a specific moment.
#20: “at night” — yes.
All good.
Final Answer:
1. at
2. on
3. in
4. in
5. at
6. on
7. in
8. in
9. on
10. at
11. on
12. at
13. in
14. at
15. in
16. in
17. at
18. in
19. in
20. at
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of at worksheet for.
