Prepositions of Time At, On, In | A Complete Lesson Plan
Prepositions of time are essential in English, yet using them correctly can be challenging even for intermediate and advanced learners. Native speakers choose the right preposition instinctively, but English learners often struggle and make frequent mistakes (see our article on why prepositions are so difficult to learn).
This lesson plan focuses on the three most common prepositions of time: at, on, and in. It gives students clear rules and plenty of practice. The activities can also be adapted to cover other prepositions of time as needed. All materials for the lesson are included below, and you’ll find additional related resources at the end of the page.
Lesson Overview
- Objectives: Students will learn how to use the prepositions of time at, on, and in accurately, and practice making sentences with each.
- Key Expressions:
- “We have class at 9 o’clock.”
- “My birthday is on July 5th.”
- “She was born in 2010.”
- Who it’s for: Beginner to intermediate ESL/EFL students. Activities can be adapted for older learners who still struggle with prepositions of time.
- Duration: 45–60 minutes.
Warm Up: Review Units of Time
Start the lesson by reviewing how to talk about time. Ask students to look at the classroom clock and tell you the time. Elicit the words hour and minute and write them on the board. Next, ask students about other units of time such as day, week, month, and year. Write these on the board and review pronunciation together.
To prepare students for the main activity, briefly review the days of the week, months of the year, and how to say dates in English. This gives students the vocabulary they will need to practice using the prepositions of time later in the lesson.
Introduce Prepositions of Time
Students are usually introduced to prepositions of place early in their English studies, so they may already be comfortable using at, on, and in for location. Explain that these same words are also used as prepositions of time, but the rules are different. Write at, on, and in on the board. Then, prepare three example sentences with the preposition missing, for example:
- “My birthday is ___ July.”
- “We have English class ___ Monday.”
- “The lesson starts ___ 9 o’clock.”
Ask students to choose which preposition fits each sentence. After they guess, confirm the correct answers. Then explain the basic rules:
- At is used for specific times and holidays (at 9 o’clock, at midnight, at Christmas).
- On is used for days and dates (on Monday, on July 1st, on Saturday morning).
- In is used for longer periods such as months, years, or seasons (in June, in 1995, in the summer).
Practice Using At, On, In
Once students understand the basic rules, it’s time to practice. Use this prepositions of time PPT (or write your own examples on the board) to show sentences with at, on, and in missing. Ask students to fill in the missing preposition and then check the answer together.
Tip: Write the rules for at, on, and in on the board or display them somewhere students can see. At this stage, the goal is not to test them but to help them practice and get comfortable using the prepositions. Having the rules visible allows students to cross-check their choice as they work through the sentences.
Practice More With an Exercise Worksheet
Give students this prepositions of time worksheet to reinforce what they have learned. The worksheet includes 15 sentences with the preposition missing. Students should read each sentence and fill in the blank with at, on, or in.
Students can work individually, but if the task feels too challenging, have them work in pairs so they can support each other. When everyone has finished, check the answers together as a class and discuss any mistakes.
Review Prepositions of Time
To wrap up the lesson, check students’ understanding of what they have learned. A quick and effective way to do this is with the Prepositions of Time Quiz. The quiz below has 10 questions, and each one shows a sentence with the preposition missing. Students must choose at, on, or in to complete the sentence.