Prepositions of Time Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library - Free Printable

Let’s go through each sentence one by one and pick the right preposition: in, at, or on.

We use:
- on for specific days (like “on Monday”, “on Christmas Day”)
- at for times or short periods (like “at noon”, “at night”, “at Christmas” — when we mean the whole holiday season)
- in for months, years, seasons, or longer periods (like “in December”, “in 2025”, “in summer”)

But note: Some holidays are treated as *days* → use on
Some are treated as *seasons/events* → use at

Let’s solve each:

1. Santa had better not be late ___ Christmas!
→ We say “late for Christmas” but here it’s about being late *during* the Christmas time. Actually, we usually say “late for Christmas” — but that’s not an option. Wait — look at the options: in, at, on.
Actually, common phrase: “Don’t be late for Christmas!” — but since “for” isn’t an option, maybe they want “at”?
Wait — let’s think again. In British English, you can say “at Christmas” to mean during the Christmas period. But if it’s about arriving on Christmas Day, it might be “on”.
But the sentence says “Santa had better not be late ___ Christmas!” — this is likely referring to the event/day of Christmas. However, standard usage is:
✔ “at Christmas” = during the Christmas holiday period
✔ “on Christmas Day” = specifically December 25
Since it just says “Christmas”, not “Christmas Day”, we use at.
BUT — wait! Let me double-check with real examples.
Actually, many native speakers say “Don’t be late for Christmas!” — but since “for” isn’t an option, and we have to choose from in/at/on…
Looking at similar sentences in textbooks:
“Be home at Christmas.” → so at is correct here.
BUT — hold on! Sentence #10 says “Jill usually visits us ___ Christmas.” — that would also be “at Christmas”.
However, sentence #4: “We eat a huge meal ___ Thanksgiving.” — Thanksgiving is a day → should be “on Thanksgiving”.
So let’s reevaluate based on standard grammar rules taught in schools:

Standard rule for school worksheets:
- Use on for named holidays that are single days: Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, etc.
- Use at for holiday periods like “at Christmas”, “at Easter” (when meaning the whole season)
- But sometimes “on Christmas” is accepted if it means the day.

Wait — actually, looking at common worksheet answers:

For #1: “Santa had better not be late ___ Christmas!” — This is tricky. If it’s about arriving on Christmas Eve or Day, it might be “on”. But traditionally, we say “at Christmas” for the season. However, in American English, especially in contexts like this, they often treat “Christmas” as a day → so on? No, I think I’m overcomplicating.

Let me check reliable sources mentally:

Cambridge Dictionary:
“We always go skiing at Christmas.” → uses “at” for the period.
“But we open presents on Christmas Day.” → uses “on” for the specific day.

In sentence #1, it doesn’t say “Day”, so probably at.

But let’s look at sentence #10: “Jill usually visits us ___ Christmas.” — same thing → likely at

Sentence #4: “We eat a huge meal ___ Thanksgiving.” — Thanksgiving is a specific day → on

Sentence #5: “We also play football ___ Thanksgiving Day.” — explicitly says “Day” → definitely on

So pattern: if it ends with “Day”, use on. If it’s just the holiday name without “Day”, sometimes at, sometimes on depending on context.

Actually, for most U.S. school worksheets, they teach:

Use on for all specific holiday names, even without “Day”, because they refer to a particular day.

Example:
- on Christmas
- on Thanksgiving
- on New Year’s Day
- on Memorial Day

And at is used for times like “at midnight”, “at noon”, or “at the weekend” (British), or “at Christmas” only when referring to the festive period broadly.

Given that this is a school worksheet titled “Prepositions of Time: Holidays”, and all items are specific holidays, I believe the expected answer is on for almost all, except where it’s clearly a period.

Wait — sentence #6: “___ the Fourth of July we have a big pool party.” → “Fourth of July” is a specific date → on

Sentence #7: “___ Labor Day last year I lost my job.” → Labor Day is a specific day → on

Sentence #8: “My birthday falls ___ Columbus Day.” → both are specific days → on

Sentence #9: “They had their first date ___ Valentine’s Day.” → specific day → on

Sentence #11: “We are having a celebration this year ___ Juneteenth.” → Juneteenth is a specific day → on

Sentence #12: “We don’t have school ___ Martin Luther King Jr. Day.” → specific day → on

Sentence #13: “We will visit the cemetery ___ Memorial Day.” → specific day → on

Now back to #1: “Santa had better not be late ___ Christmas!” — if we follow the pattern, and since other holidays without “Day” still get “on”, then perhaps on? But traditionally, “at Christmas” is more common for the season.

I recall now: In American English educational materials, they often simplify and say:

Use on for holidays that occur on a specific calendar day.

Christmas is December 25 — so it’s a specific day → on Christmas

Similarly, Thanksgiving is a specific Thursday → on Thanksgiving

Easter is a specific Sunday → on Easter

So for consistency across the worksheet, I think all should be on, except possibly #1 and #10 which might be at if considering the season.

But let’s see sentence #3: “We never go to work ___ President’s Day.” → President’s Day is a specific Monday → on

Sentence #2: “I took my father to lunch ___ Veteran’s Day.” → specific day → on

So only #1 and #10 might be different.

Upon second thought, let’s consult standard ESL teaching:

According to Purdue OWL and other grammar sites:

- Use on for days and dates: on Monday, on July 4th, on Christmas Day
- Use at for festivals and holidays when referring to the period: at Christmas, at Easter, at Thanksgiving (but this is less common in American English)

In American English, it’s very common to say:
- on Christmas
- on Thanksgiving
- on New Year’s

Even without “Day”.

For example, Merriam-Webster usage notes: “We celebrate Christmas on December 25.” → implies “on Christmas”

Also, in the worksheet itself, sentence #4 is “We eat a huge meal ___ Thanksgiving.” — no “Day”, but it’s clearly the day of Thanksgiving → should be on

Similarly, #10: “Jill usually visits us ___ Christmas.” — could be during the season, but in context of visiting family, it’s likely on Christmas Day → on

I think for this worksheet, the intended answer for all is on, because all are specific holidays occurring on specific days.

But let’s check #1 again: “Santa had better not be late ___ Christmas!” — if Santa is delivering gifts on Christmas Eve/Day, he shouldn’t be late for that day → on

Yes, I think that’s it.

Final decision: All blanks should be filled with on, because each refers to a specific holiday date.

Wait — what about “at”? Is there any case for “at”?

Sentence #6: “___ the Fourth of July” — definitely on

Sentence #7: “___ Labor Day” — on

No, I think all are on.

But let me verify with actual common usage:

Google search mental simulation:
- “late for Christmas” — common
- “late on Christmas” — less common, but possible if meaning on the day
- “late at Christmas” — unusual

Actually, upon reflection, I found a better way: in many textbooks, for sentences like “Don’t be late ___ Christmas”, they expect for, but since it’s not an option, and given the choices, perhaps at is intended for #1 and #10.

I remember now: some curricula teach:

- at for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving (as holiday periods)
- on for days with “Day” in the name

So:
- at Christmas
- at Thanksgiving
- on Christmas Day
- on Thanksgiving Day

That makes sense.

So for #1: “Santa had better not be late ___ Christmas!” → at (meaning during the Christmas season)

#4: “We eat a huge meal ___ Thanksgiving.” → at (the Thanksgiving holiday period)

#5: “We also play football ___ Thanksgiving Day.” → on (specific day)

#10: “Jill usually visits us ___ Christmas.” → at (during Christmas time)

Others with “Day” or specific dates: on

Let’s apply that:

1. at
2. on (Veteran’s Day — has “Day”)
3. on (President’s Day)
4. at (Thanksgiving — no “Day”)
5. on (Thanksgiving Day)
6. on (Fourth of July — specific date)
7. on (Labor Day)
8. on (Columbus Day)
9. on (Valentine’s Day)
10. at (Christmas)
11. on (Juneteenth — treated as a day)
12. on (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
13. on (Memorial Day)

This seems consistent.

Confirming with standard references:

BBC Learning English:
“We spend Christmas at home.” → at Christmas
“We have dinner on Christmas Day.” → on Christmas Day

Similarly, “We gather at Thanksgiving.” vs “We eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.”

So yes, the rule is:
- Use at for the holiday name alone (implying the period)
- Use on when “Day” is specified or for specific dates

Therefore:

1. at
2. on
3. on
4. at
5. on
6. on
7. on
8. on
9. on
10. at
11. on
12. on
13. on

Now, let’s write the final answers accordingly.

Final Answer:
1. at
2. on
3. on
4. at
5. on
6. on
7. on
8. on
9. on
10. at
11. on
12. on
13. on