Prepositions of Time ESL Games, Activities & Worksheets
Find Someone Who...
ESL Prepositions of Time Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice
In this free prepositions of time speaking activity, students ask and answer yes/no questions that contain prepositions of time. Students start by preparing the questions they need to ask in order to do...
In, On and At Practice
ESL Prepositions of Time Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Gap-fill, Multiple Choice, Matching, Answering Questions, Creating a Schedule - Speaking Activity
This useful prepositions of time worksheet helps students learn and practice the time prepositions: in, on, at. First, students complete sentences with...
Make a Sentence
ESL Prepositions of Time Game - Grammar: Matching, Forming Sentences
In this productive prepositions of time game, students match time prepositions with time expressions and make sentences with prepositional time phrases in order to win squares in a game of Tic-Tac-Toe. In pairs, students take it in turns to...
Time Prepositions Board Game
ESL Prepositions of Time Board Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Matching, Forming Sentences, Freer Practice
In this creative prepositions of time board game, students match time prepositions (in, on, at) with time expressions and make sentences with the prepositional time phrases. Players take it in turns to...
Good Question!
ESL Prepositions of Time Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice
In this free prepositions of time speaking activity, students complete questions with time prepositions and then ask and answer the questions with a partner. Working alone, students complete questions...
In, On, At
ESL Prepositions of Time Activities - Grammar and Vocabulary Exercise and Game: Gap-fill, Matching
In these two fun prepositions of time activities, students do a worksheet where they complete sentences with prepositions of time and play a game where they match time expressions with the...
In, On, At Dominoes
ESL In, On, At Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Forming Sentences
In this enjoyable prepositions of time game, students play dominoes to practice the time prepositions: in, on, at. The first player puts down one of their dominoes on either side of the domino on the table, making sure that the preposition of time matches...
In, On, At Quiz
ESL Prepositions of Time Quiz - Vocabulary: Sentence Completion, Guessing
Here is a handy prepositions of time quiz for reviewing the prepositions of time: in, on, at. In the quiz, students complete multiple-choice general knowledge statements with appropriate prepositions of time. In pairs, students complete each...
Invite me out
ESL Prepositions of Time Game - Vocabulary, Grammar and Speaking: Matching, Forming Invitations, Freer Practice
In this inventive prepositions of time game, students play dominoes by matching the prepositions of time 'in', 'on' and 'at' with time expressions and making invitations using prepositional time phrases...
Snapped
ESL Prepositions of Time Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Matching, Forming Sentences
In this entertaining prepositions of time game, students play snap by matching time prepositions (in, on, at, every, during, by, until) with time phrases and making true sentences with matching pairs. In pairs, one student has a set of time preposition...
Time Prepositions Practice
ESL Prepositions of Time Activities - Grammar Exercises: Categorizing, Gap-fill - Speaking Activities, Guessing, Forming Questions, Answering Questions
In these two free prepositions of time activities, students complete exercises on a worksheet to learn and practice prepositions of time and take part in a...
Wacky Races
ESL Prepositions of Time Board Game - Grammar and Vocabulary: Matching
In this engaging prepositions of time board game, students race against each other to land on time expression squares that match with a preposition of time on their card. The game board contains time expressions that go with the three prepositions...
Grab it
ESL Prepositions of Time Game - Vocabulary and Grammar: Matching, Gap-fill
In this lively prepositions of time game, students race to complete sentences with the prepositions of time: by, until, during, while, for, since, from and to. Students take it in turns to pick up a sentence card and read it to the other two students using...
Prepositions of Time in San Francisco
ESL Prepositions of Time Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing Exercises: Reading Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Writing Sentences
In this comprehensive prepositions of time worksheet, students practice the prepositions of time: in, on, at, by, during, from, to, and until/till. First, students...
Understanding Prepositions of Time
Prepositions of time are words that show when something happens or how long it lasts, with 'in' used for longer periods such as months and years, 'on' used for days and dates, and 'at' used for specific clock times and fixed expressions. Students who mix these up produce sentences that signal the wrong time frame, so writing 'at the morning' instead of 'in the morning' or 'in Monday' instead of 'on Monday' immediately marks their English as unnatural to any reader.
This page covers prepositions of time across A1-A2, A2, and B1 levels, with fourteen activities ranging from board games and snap to a reading and writing worksheet, including three free downloads. The prepositions 'by', 'until', 'during', 'for', 'since', and 'from...to' extend beyond in, on, and at and are commonly taught alongside them at A2 and B1 levels.
The table below maps nine common prepositions of time to the type of time expression they go with, with a short example sentence for each.
| Preposition | Used With | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| in | months, seasons, years, centuries, parts of the day | 'She was born in July and grew up in the 1990s.' |
| on | days of the week, dates, specific occasions | 'The meeting is on Thursday, on the 15th.' |
| at | clock times, mealtimes, fixed expressions | 'The flight leaves at 6am, so we eat at 5.' |
| by | a deadline, meaning something must happen before or at that point in time | 'Please send me the report by Friday.' |
| until / till | continuously up to a point in time | 'She worked until midnight to finish the project.' |
| during | within a named period of time | 'He lived in Paris during the war.' |
| for | a length or duration of time | 'They have been waiting for two hours.' |
| since | a starting point continuing to now | 'She has lived here since 2019.' |
| from...to | a defined start and end point | 'The office is open from 9am to 5pm.' |
When to Use Prepositions of Time
Arranging Plans and Appointments: Speakers use 'on' with days and dates when making arrangements, because it pins the event to a specific point in the week or calendar, as in 'Let's meet on Thursday at 3pm to go over the figures.'
Describing Daily Routines: Writers and speakers use 'in' with parts of the day when talking about regular habits or routines, because it refers to a broad time period rather than a fixed hour, as in 'She always checks her emails in the morning before she does anything else.'
Setting and Communicating Deadlines: Writers use 'by' in professional and academic contexts when they need to make clear that something must be completed before or at a specific point, as in 'All applications must be submitted by noon on the closing date.'
3-Step Framework for Teaching Prepositions of Time
1. Anchor the Rules in Real Life: The fastest way to make in, on, and at stick is to connect them to something personal from the very first lesson. A worksheet that covers all three prepositions through gap-fill, multiple choice, and matching gives students the pattern knowledge they need. Then a calendar exercise pushes them to apply it directly: students fill in next week's schedule, write down what they have to do and when, and tell a partner about their plans using prepositions of time.
2. Practice Through a Board Game: Once students know the rules, a board game keeps the repetition high without losing energy. Players roll the dice and move around the board. When a player lands on a time expression square, they find the matching time preposition card from their hand, lay it down, and make a sentence such as 'I don't study English on Saturday'. If a player cannot make a sentence, they go back two squares, which keeps everyone focused on accuracy throughout the game.
3. Build Speed and Confidence With a Card Race: At a higher level, shift from matching to rapid recall with a card race. One student reads a sentence aloud using the word 'blank' where the missing preposition should go, and two other students race to grab the correct time preposition card and call it out first. The student who grabs the correct card wins and keeps the two cards, so the game rewards both speed and accuracy at the same time.
Common Mistakes with Prepositions of Time
Using 'at' Instead of 'in' for Months, Seasons, and Years: Students often use 'at' with months, seasons, and years because they know it goes with time expressions, but 'at' is reserved for specific clock times and fixed expressions, not longer periods. Wrong: 'She started the job at September.' Correct: 'She started the job in September.'
Using 'in' Instead of 'at' for Clock Times: Students often reach for 'in' as a general time preposition and apply it to clock times, where 'at' is always required in English. Wrong: 'The train leaves in 7 o'clock.' Correct: 'The train leaves at 7 o'clock.'
Common Questions About Teaching Prepositions of Time
What is a good speaking activity for prepositions of time?
For prepositions of time in conversation, the activity Good Question! is a free and practical choice. Students complete questions with in, on, or at, then ask their partner those questions and note down the answers before sharing what they found out with the class. The question-and-answer format gives students repeated, natural exposure to all three prepositions.
What is a useful prepositions of time worksheet?
The worksheet In, On and At Practice keeps things simple by moving through one step at a time. Students complete gap-fill sentences, choose the correct time word in multiple-choice items, and match time questions with answers, before finishing with a speaking activity where they tell a partner about their week. The scaffolded sequence makes each step feel achievable.
What is an engaging prepositions of time game?
In the game Invite me out, students literally invite each other out, giving the language a real social purpose. Players match time prepositions with time expressions on dominoes, and when a player cannot place a domino, they use an invite card to invite another player out using a phrase from the table. That social element is what makes it engaging.
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