PREPOSITIONS OF TIME: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc - Free Printable

This worksheet is about prepositions of time in English — specifically, using "in," "on," and "at" to talk about when things happen. Let's go through each question one by one, explain the correct answer, and provide a brief explanation.

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✔ Rules for Prepositions of Time:

- "in" – used for months, years, seasons, parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening), and long periods.
- e.g., *in January*, *in 2023*, *in summer*, *in the morning*
- "on" – used for specific days, dates, and holidays.
- e.g., *on Monday*, *on July 4th*, *on Christmas Day*
- "at" – used for specific times (o'clock), meals, or events.
- e.g., *at 5 o'clock*, *at noon*, *at midnight*

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Now let’s solve each:

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1. My mother was born ____ 1970.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: We use "in" for years.
✔ Answer: a. in

2. They sing carols ____ Christmas.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: "Christmas" refers to a specific holiday day → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

3. They brush their teeth ____ night.
→ c. at
✔️ Explanation: "At night" is a fixed expression.
✔ Answer: c. at

4. They went to Disneyland ____ June.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: "June" is a month → use "in".
✔ Answer: a. in

5. He drives to school ____ weekdays.
→ a. in
✘ Wait! Actually:
→ Correct answer: a. in? No!
→ Correct: b. on
✔️ Explanation: "Weekdays" refers to specific days (Monday–Friday) → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

6. He goes camping ____ Easter.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: Easter is a specific holiday → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

7. He goes hunting ____ the morning.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: "In the morning" is a standard phrase.
✔ Answer: a. in

8. She has lunch ____ one o'clock.
→ c. at
✔️ Explanation: Specific time → use "at".
✔ Answer: c. at

9. She rehearses ____ the afternoon.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: "In the afternoon" is correct.
✔ Answer: a. in

10. I was born ____ January, 5th.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: A specific date → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

11. She goes fishing ____ Mondays.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: Specific days of the week → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

12. He likes painting ____ spring.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: Spring is a season → use "in".
✔ Answer: a. in

13. They like making a snowman ____ winter.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: Winter is a season → use "in".
✔ Answer: a. in

14. They had dinner ____ seven.
→ c. at
✔️ Explanation: Specific time → use "at".
✔ Answer: c. at

15. She dressed as a witch ____ Halloween day.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: "Halloween Day" is a specific day → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

16. She baked a cake ____ her birthday.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: Birthday is a specific day → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

17. ____ noon everything was done.
→ c. At
✔️ Explanation: "At noon" is a fixed expression.
✔ Answer: c. At

18. He plays football ____ Sundays.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: Days of the week → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

19. His birthday is ____ December.
→ a. in
✔️ Explanation: Month → use "in".
✔ Answer: a. in

20. Santa comes ____ Christmas Eve.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: Christmas Eve is a specific day → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

21. Drama lesson finishes ____ twelve.
→ c. at
✔️ Explanation: Specific time → use "at".
✔ Answer: c. at

22. She cleans the floor ____ the weekend.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: "The weekend" refers to Saturday and Sunday → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

23. He wakes up ____ seven.
→ c. at
✔️ Explanation: Specific time → use "at".
✔ Answer: c. at

24. She fell in love ____ Valentine's Day.
→ b. on
✔️ Explanation: Valentine's Day is a specific day → use "on".
✔ Answer: b. on

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✔ Final Answers:

| # | Answer |
|---|--------|
| 1 | a. in |
| 2 | b. on |
| 3 | c. at |
| 4 | a. in |
| 5 | b. on |
| 6 | b. on |
| 7 | a. in |
| 8 | c. at |
| 9 | a. in |
|10 | b. on |
|11 | b. on |
|12 | a. in |
|13 | a. in |
|14 | c. at |
|15 | b. on |
|16 | b. on |
|17 | c. At |
|18 | b. on |
|19 | a. in |
|20 | b. on |
|21 | c. at |
|22 | b. on |
|23 | c. at |
|24 | b. on |

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🎯 Summary Tips:

- Use "in" for general time periods: months, years, seasons, parts of the day.
- Use "on" for specific days, dates, holidays, and days of the week.
- Use "at" for exact times, meals, or special moments like "noon", "midnight".

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