WhenEnglishspeakerstalkabouttimeandplace,
therearethreelittlewordsthatoftencomeup:in,on,
andat.Thesecommonwordsareprepositionsthatshowarelationshipbetweentwowordsin
asentence.SomeprepositionsarerathereasyforEnglishlearnerstounderstand:behind,over,under,nextto,
etcButtheselittletwo-letterprepositionsseemtocreateconfusion.Hereare
anewrulestohelpyouunderstandwhentousein,on, andatin
asentence.Fordescribingtimeandplace, theprepositionsin,on, andatgo
from
generaltospecific.PrepositionsandTimeLetsstartbylookingathowwetalkabouttime.Englishspeakersuseintoreferto
ageneral,longerperiodoftime,suchasmonths,years,decades, or
centuries. Forexample, wesayinApril, in2015 or inthe
21stcentury.Movingtoshorter,morespecificperiodsoftime,
weuseontotalkabout particulardays,dates, andholidays.Youmayhear,
Iwenttoworkon Monday, or LetshaveapicniconMemorialDay.For
themostspecifictimes, and forholidayswithoutthewordday, weunseat.
Thatmeansyouwillhear, Meetmeatmidnight, or Theflowersare in
bloomatEastertime.
PrepositionsandPlaceWhenEnglishspeakersreferto aplace,
weuseinfor thelargestormost generalplaces.Youcansaythat VOA
islocatedinWashington, D.C. And for
thebestfood,trytherestaurantsinChinatown.Formorespecificplaces,likecertainstreets,
weusetheprepositionon.YoumayknowthatPresidentObamalivesonPennsylvaniaAvenueinWashington,
D.C.Finally, wegetto themostspecificplaces.
Forexactaddressesorintersections,weusetheprepositionat.IfIinvitedyoutovisitushereat
VOA, Iwouldsay, Cometomyofficeat330IndependenceAvenue. To be exact,
itsatthecornerofIndependenceand 3rdStreet.
InEnglish,though,thereisalwaysan exceptionto
therule.Whentalkingabouttransportation,thingsgetalittlehardtounderstand.
Weuseonfor publicvehicleslikebusesortrains,
butalsoforsmalleroneslikeabicycle.
Irodethereonmybicycle.However,yourideinacar.Still,
ithelpstoknowthatEnglishprepositionsdohavesomerules.Followingthe
generaltospecificruleshouldhelpyoumostof thetime.
