Prepositions of Time

This lesson is all about prepositions of time.

The most common prepositions of time are at on and in the others it will look at during this lesson.

Are for during since by until of for after two and past there are of course other ones that don’t come up as often we won’t be looking at those here so use at for specific times of the day let’s meet at noon tomorrow.

Could we meet at one o’clock instead the film starts at 7 o’clock in the evening Julie usually gets up at 6 o’clock in the morning Peter usually starts work at 9 and finishes at 6.

Most people put the cat out at night and we use on for days and dates.

I have an appointment on Friday.

Shall we go out for a meal on your birthday.

I can’t make it on Saturday.

Could we go on Sunday instead.

New Year’s Eve is on December 30 first Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day 16 43 we use in months years and seasons and strangely enough specific times of the day school starts in September this year we were on holiday in March last year there will be an election in 2020.

Winston Churchill was born in 1874.

Could I book an appointment in the afternoon and that Christmas Carol.

In the Bleak Midwinter.

Of the preposition for is use when referring to durations of time my grandparents usually sleep for 15 minutes after lunch.

We worked in the garden for six hours without taking a break John has lived in France for twelve years Simon has lived in the same house for over 50 years when we used during together with a noun.

We use this for when we want to say that something happened within a specific period of time as the fire alarm went off during lunch and here lunch is the not the thing you eat.

Is the time of the lunch break students are not allowed to eat or drink during class which is annoying when people talk during films please switch off all phones during the exam and again and all of these were not talking about the films or the exams are talking about the time that the film is running or the time that the exam is being taken.

you since for describing events that start or will start from a specific time.

Though Peter and John have known each other since they were children James has lived in London since 2005 but Mary has lived in Rome for 12 years every year since almost Pacific Time.

And for the duration common mistake what have you been up to since we last met I’ve been working here since August.

Will it take much longer.

I’ve been waiting since 10:00 and here in prepositions of time we use buy to meet not later than the report must be finished by Friday if not later than Friday.

No worries I will make sure shorter done by then Paula has to be home by six o’clock or else there’s trouble Tim said he would be back by midnight and we use until to describe an action or event that stops or has stopped at a specific time.

The examples would make it clear if we’re talking informally or rather writing informally instead of using until we can use till the concert went on until midnight I will wait for you until 7 o’clock Sandy is staying with her mother until Sunday geese stay here until October.

Then they fly south for the winter the lad stayed in the pub until it closed and before is used for things that happened before or prior to a defined time or event.

The police tidy up your desk before you leave Dennis always goes to bed before midnight Conrad always eats a good breakfast before going to work.

Most people are nervous before exams.

You must visit us before you go back and conversely after dissimilar to before but when is following a defined time or event.

Ben always has a shower after his workout.

The student celebrated after the last exam please keep the noise down after 10:00 at night.

What do you come around after work tomorrow after you talk to him.

Come and see me.

though the last two referring to telling the time we used to when we’re talking about how long it is until the next full hour it is 20 minutes to seven.

Now I 640 in five minutes.

It will be a quarter to seven.

I 645 in ten minutes.

It will be tend to seven I 650 I set the alarm for exactly 12 minutes to eight a seven forty eight if the meeting starts at ten get there no later than five to ten and conversely we use past when we’re talking about how many minutes or how long has expired since the last full hour of the day is ten minutes past eight now or eight ten in five minutes.

It will be a quarter past eight eight fifteen and ten minutes it will be twenty past eight or eight twenty

I set the alarm for exactly 12 minutes past eight is eight twelve a ten o’clock meeting should start no later than five past ten.