Use in, on, and at for time

Small words can make a schedule clearer. Learn these common patterns with examples you might use in a message.

At for a specific time

“The call starts at 10 am.”

“Let’s meet at noon.”

When arranging a call across locations, include the time zone if it is relevant. A time without a zone can be ambiguous.

On for a day or date

“The workshop is on Monday.”

“The interview is on 20 October.”

Use on for a specific part of a particular day too: “on Monday morning.”

In for a longer period

“The course begins in November.”

“I graduated in 2024.”

Say “in the morning” for a general part of the day, but “at night” is the usual expression. These patterns have exceptions, so learn useful expressions together.

Leave out the preposition with “next” and “last”

“We’ll meet next Monday.” “I called last week.” We do not normally say “on next Monday” or “in last week.”

Your turn

Complete: “The meeting is ___ Tuesday ___ 3 pm. The project begins ___ November.”

Show the answer

“The meeting is on Tuesday at 3 pm. The project begins in November.” Use “on” for the day, “at” for the time, and “in” for the month.