Preposition Problems? Your Guide to In, On, At, and Beyond

Introduction

Let me ask you a question: Which is correct?

"I'll meet you on Monday at 3:00 in the coffee shop."
"I'll meet you in Monday on 3:00 at the coffee shop."
"I'll meet you at Monday in 3:00 on the coffee shop."

If you chose the first one, great job! If you weren't sure, don't worry – you're not alone! Prepositions (in, on, at, by, for, from, to, with...) are one of the most difficult parts of English grammar for Japanese learners. Why? Because Japanese uses particles (で、に、を、は、が) that work completely differently from English prepositions.

Many students tell me: "I never know which preposition to use!" or "I always make mistakes with 'in,' 'on,' and 'at'!" One student asked me: "Why is it 'in the morning' but 'at night'? Why not 'at the morning'? It doesn't make sense!" I understand this frustration! Prepositions can seem random and illogical.

Here's the truth: prepositions follow patterns, but these patterns are different from Japanese logic. Today, I'll teach you the most important preposition patterns. I'll focus on IN, ON, and AT (the most common and confusing ones). Then I'll give you tricks to remember which one to use. Let's make prepositions easier together!

Main Tips

Understanding IN, ON, AT for Time

The prepositions IN, ON, and AT follow a logical pattern for time expressions. Think of it like this: from bigger time periods to smaller, more specific points:

IN = Longer time periods (months, years, seasons, parts of day)

Use IN for:

Months: in January, in March, in December
Years: in 2024, in 1990, in the future
Seasons: in spring, in summer, in autumn, in winter
Parts of the day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
Centuries: in the 21st century

Examples:

"I was born in 1995."
"Let's meet in the afternoon."
"Cherry blossoms bloom in spring."

ON = Specific days and dates

Use ON for:

Days of the week: on Monday, on Friday, on weekends
Specific dates: on March 15th, on New Year's Day
Special days: on my birthday, on Christmas Day

Examples:

"The meeting is on Tuesday."
"I'll see you on December 25th."
"What do you do on weekends?"

AT = Specific times and moments

Use AT for:

Clock times: at 3:00, at 9:30, at noon, at midnight
Specific moments: at sunrise, at sunset, at lunchtime
Special: at night (exception! Not "in the night")

Examples:

"The class starts at 9:00."
"Let's have dinner at 7:30."
"I work better at night."

Memory trick: Think of IN as a big box (long time periods), ON as a flat surface (specific days like on a calendar), and AT as a point (exact times like a point on a clock).

Understanding IN, ON, AT for Place

These same three prepositions also work for places, but with a different logic:

IN = Inside something (enclosed spaces)

Use IN for:

Rooms/buildings: in my room, in the office, in the hospital
Cities/countries: in Tokyo, in Japan, in America
Enclosed vehicles: in the car, in the taxi (you sit inside)
Books/documents: in the book, in the newspaper

Examples:

"I live in Tokyo."
"She's waiting in the lobby."
"He's sitting in the car."

ON = On a surface (touching something)

Use ON for:

Surfaces: on the table, on the floor, on the wall
Floors of buildings: on the 5th floor, on the second floor
Public transportation: on the bus, on the train, on the plane (you're on top of a platform)
Streets: on Main Street (you're on the surface of the street)

Examples:

"The book is on the desk."
"My office is on the third floor."
"I met him on the train."

AT = Specific location points or places

Use AT for:

Specific addresses/locations: at the station, at the airport, at the door
Events/activities: at a party, at a concert, at a meeting
Specific addresses: at 123 Main Street

Examples:

"Let's meet at the coffee shop."
"I'll see you at the station."
"She's at work." (meaning the workplace location)

Memory trick: IN = inside a space, ON = touching a surface, AT = at a point/location.

Other Common Prepositions and Their Patterns

Here are other prepositions Japanese learners often confuse:

BY vs. UNTIL

BY = deadline (at or before this time) "Please finish the report by Friday." (Friday is the deadline)
UNTIL = continuing up to this time "The store is open until 9:00." (it closes at 9:00)

FOR vs. DURING

FOR = length of time "I studied for 3 hours." (3 hours is the length)
DURING = within a time period "I studied during the afternoon." (at some point in the afternoon)

TO vs. FOR (purpose and direction)

TO = direction/destination "I went to Tokyo." (Tokyo is the destination)
FOR = purpose "I went to the store for milk." (milk is the purpose)

FROM... TO vs. FROM... UNTIL

Use TO for places: "I walked from home to the station."
Use UNTIL for time: "I worked from 9:00 until 5:00."

Special Cases and Exceptions to Remember

English has some exceptions and special cases:

Time exceptions:

"at night" (NOT "in the night")
"in the evening" (NOT "at the evening")
"at noon" and "at midnight" (specific times)
No preposition with: "this/next/last/every" "See you next Monday" (NOT "on next Monday") "I go to the gym every day" (NOT "in every day")

Place exceptions:

"at home" (NOT "in home")
"at school/work" (when talking about being there for its purpose)
"in school" (when talking about the physical building)

Transportation:

IN: car, taxi (enclosed, small vehicles)
ON: bus, train, plane (larger vehicles you walk onto)
Exception: "on foot" (walking)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Put IN, ON, or AT in these sentences:

I'll meet you ___ Monday ___ 3:00 ___ the coffee shop.
She was born ___ 1990 ___ Japan.
The meeting is ___ the morning ___ Tuesday.
Your book is ___ the table ___ my room.
I'll finish the report ___ Friday.
We live ___ the third floor.
Let's talk ___ lunchtime ___ the cafeteria.
I work better ___ night.

(Answers: 1. on, at, at; 2. in, in; 3. in, on; 4. on, in; 5. on; 6. on; 7. at, in; 8. at)

Exercise 2: Correction Practice

Find and fix the preposition mistakes:

I'll see you in next Monday.
The party is in Friday night.
She lives at Tokyo.
I'm waiting you in the bus stop.
The class starts on 9:00.

(Answers: 1. See you next Monday (no preposition); 2. on Friday night; 3. in Tokyo; 4. at the bus stop; 5. at 9:00)

Exercise 3: Your Own Sentences

Write 5 sentences about your daily life using IN, ON, or AT correctly. For example:

"I wake up at 7:00 in the morning."
"I work in an office on the fifth floor."
"I have a meeting on Monday at 2:00 in the conference room."

Check your sentences carefully. Did you use the right prepositions?

Conclusion

Prepositions are tricky for Japanese learners because Japanese particles work differently from English prepositions. But prepositions follow patterns! Remember the basic rules: IN for long time periods and enclosed spaces, ON for specific days and surfaces, AT for specific times and location points.

Don't worry about memorising every exception right now. Focus on the main patterns first. As you read and listen to more English, prepositions will start to "feel" right naturally. Your brain will internalise the patterns without conscious effort.

When you're not sure which preposition to use, here are helpful strategies:

Think about whether you're talking about time or place
For time: Is it a long period (IN), a specific day (ON), or an exact time (AT)?
For place: Is it inside (IN), on a surface (ON), or at a point (AT)?
Listen to how native speakers use prepositions in similar sentences
Don't stress too much – small preposition mistakes usually don't prevent communication!

Remember: even if you use the wrong preposition, native speakers will probably understand you! Prepositions are important for sounding natural, but they rarely cause serious misunderstandings.

If you want personalised practice with prepositions, or if you want to work on the specific preposition patterns that you find most difficult, I'd love to help you in a Cafetalk lesson. We can practice together with examples from your real life. Keep learning – you're doing wonderfully!