Tag / english prepositions

by speakspokehavespoken

By or until?

Should you promise to finish your homework by next week or until next week? Will you send somebody an email by or until tomorrow? Many learners find these two words confusing, particularly because some languages such as German use the same word for both concepts. Here’s a short explanation of the key differences.

By

“By” describes the time before which something is completed. For example, in the sentence “Please finish your homework by Friday”, the homework can be finished on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, any time before Friday. The important thing is that it is finished before then; exactly when is not relevant.

Examples:

  • I need to finish my project by the end of the week.
  • We must deliver the parcel by this evening.
  • You need to book the tickets by Wednesday to get a discount.
  • Could you send me the information by Saturday?

Until

“Until” describes an action that is in progress and will remain in progress up to a point. For example, “I worked until 5 o’clock yesterday” means the working was an ongoing process that continued until 5 o’clock and only stopped at that time. I could also say, “My friend is on holiday until Friday”. They are on holiday now and will stop being on holiday on Friday.

Examples:

  • I will be in a meeting until 5pm this afternoon.
  • They’re staying in Madrid until Sunday.
  • We will be on the train until midday.
  • The party will last until midnight.

Can you think of any more examples with by and until? Or do you have any more questions about this subject? Share them in the comments below.

by speakspokehavespoken

In, at or on to describe places

Last week I wrote about using in, at or on to describe times. This week, I’ve got some advice on how to use these words to talk about places. Is it in the cinema or at the cinema? In Paris or at Paris? In the train or on the train? Read on for answers to these questions and more.

In

We use in to talk about:

  • closed spaces
    • The laptop is in my office.
    • The car is in the garage.
    • They are in the kitchen.
  • cities, regions, countries
    • They live in Norway.
    • The concert is in Glasgow.
    • She works in the Midlands.

At

We say at when we describe:

  • specific points and locations
    • Let’s meet at the front door.
    • I’m at the station.
    • He’s at the cinema.
  • addresses
    • I live at 14 Long Lane.
    • The company is at 17 Regent Street.
    • Is the restaurant at 8 Market Square?

On

On is used to talk about:

  • floors in buildings
    • I live on the second floor.
    • Our hotel room was on the ground floor.
    • The office is on the top floor.
  • a surface
    • The picture is on the wall.
    • The book is on the table.
    • My bag is on the floor.
  • roads
    • The office is on Station Road.
    • The school is on the ring road.
    • There is a traffic jam on the A47.
  • other ‘long’ places
    • There is a bench on the path.
    • We sat on the riverbank.
    • We walked on the beach.

Exceptions and extra trips

  • on the train or in the train?
    • Both! British English speakers say on the train and American English speakers say in the train, so both are possible.
      • I was on the train when you called me.
      • I was in the train when you called me.
  • in the cinema or at the weekend?
    • If we talk about generally being at a location, we use at.
      • My son’s at the cinema.
      • I’m at the office.
      • We’re at the hotel.
    • If we want to stress that we are inside that place, we can use in.
      • My son’s in the cinema, but I’m waiting outside.
      • I’m in the office; I’m not in the car park.
      • We’re in the hotel, so the rain isn’t a problem.

Do you have any other questions about using in, at and on? Or do you have some more tips? Leave them in the comments below!

by speakspokehavespoken

In, at or on to describe times

Is it on Tuesday or at Tuesday? In winter or on winter? At the weekend or on the weekend? These little words like in, at or on can be difficult to remember because often they are different in every language. Here are some tips to remember how to use them to talk about times.

In

We use in to talk about:

  • months
    • My birthday is in October.
    • We’re going on holiday in July.
    • She started her new job in February.
  • years
    • They started the company in 2011.
    • The next elections will be in 2023.
    • The protests took place in the year 1968.
  • seasons
    • We always go on holiday in summer.
    • It sometimes snows in the winter.
    • The days get longer in spring.
  • times of day
    • He always drinks coffee in the mornings.
    • In the afternoon I’m meeting a friend.
    • The restaurant was very full in the evening.

At

We say at when we describe:

  • specific times
    • The show starts at 6pm.
    • My train leaves at midday.
    • They’re meeting at half past four.
  • festivals
    • We visit our family at Christmas.
    • They will be away at Diwali.
    • What food do you eat at Easter?

On

On is used to talk about:

  • days of the week
    • Our next appointment is on Tuesday.
    • Do you have time on Thursday?
    • I didn’t go the party on Saturday.
  • dates
    • The conference is on 12th March.
    • My flight is on 20th November.
    • On 5th September we’re visiting customers.
  • special days
    • I’m having a big party on my birthday.
    • We always eat a roast dinner on Christmas Day.
    • Are seeing friends on New Year’s Eve?

Exceptions and extra trips

  • at night or in the night?
    • We say at night to talk generally about things that happen during the night.
      • The stars come out at night.
      • At night my cat is very active.
    • We say in the night to talk about one particular night.
      • I heard a strange sound in the night.
      • We’re flying home in the night.
  • at the weekend or on the weekend?
    • Both! British English speakers say at the weekend and American English speakers say on the weekend, so either is possible.
      • The weather was great on the weekend.
      • The weather was great at the weekend.
  • On Sunday morning or at Sunday morning?
    • Here, we say on Sunday morning because the day comes first.
      • I always go running on Tuesday afternoons.
      • We often go out on Friday evenings.
      • He already has plans on Wednesday morning.
  • At Christmas or on Christmas?
    • We say at Christmas to describe the whole festive period.
      • Our company has a party at Christmas.
      • I like to give my friends gifts at Christmas.
      • At Christmas the shops are always busy.
    • On Christmas Day describes that one day.
      • I visited my grandparents on Christmas Day.
      • Lots of people watch films on TV on Christmas Day.
      • Children get up early on Christmas Day.

Do you have any other questions about using in, at and on? Or do you have some more tips? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!