Ai/onvin (time) Compare at, on and in: @ They arrived at 5 o'clock. © They amrived on Friday. ‘© They arrived in October. / They arrived in 1968. Wense: at for the time of day: arSo'dock at 1145 at midnight _atlunchtime _at sunset cte. on for days and dates: on Friday/on Fridays om 12 March 1991 _ on Christmas Day _ on my birthday in for longer periods (for example, months/years/seasons): in October in 1968 inthe 18th century in the past (the) winter in the 1970s in the Middle Ages __in (the) fsture We use at in these expressions: at night [ don’t like going out at night. ac the weekend / at weekends Will you be here at the weekend? at Christmas / at Easter '* Do you give each other presents at Christmas? (but on Christmras Day) ac the moment / at present atthe same time ‘Mx Benn is busy at the moment / at present. Liz and [ arrived at the same time. Note that we usually ask ‘What time...?” (not uswally ‘At what time. © What time are you going out this evening? We say: inthe morning(s) inthe afternoon(s) in the evening(s) © Pll sce you in the morning. ‘# Do you workin the evenings? but: on Friday morning(s) on Sunday afternoon(s)__on Monday eveningis) ete. ("be at home on Friday morning. * Do you usually go out on Saturday eveaings? ‘We do no? use atfonlin before lastinextithis/every: © I'l see you next Friday. (nor ‘on next Friday’) © They got married last March, In 2 few minutes /in six months ere. = a time in the futuce ‘© The train will be leaving in a few minutes. (= a few minutes from now) « Jack has gone away. He'll be back in a week. (= a week from now) + She'll be here in a moment. (= « moment from novr| ‘You can also say ‘in six months? time’, ‘in a week’s time’ ete.: © ‘They're getting married in six montis’ ime. (or ..in six months.) We also use in... to say how long it takes 10 do something: © [learns to drive in four weeks. (= it took me four weeks to learn) ontn time, ave the end > BUEE] trvevon (piece) > PERERA onin‘at (other moarings) > EERE Aoscen Engen + EEEunr } EXERCISES: 1 20 Complete the sentences. Each time use at, on orin + one of the following: heevening about 20 minutes 4493 Christmas the moment 24 July 1969 the 1920s the same time Sundays the Middle Ages 1 seconds __night 1 Columbas made his first voyage from Europe to America 191492, 2 In Britain most people do NOt WOEK ..ssuensesninernninnaen 3 Ifthe sey is clear, you can sce the stars. 4 After working hard during the day, [like to relax. 5 The first man walked on the moon 6 les difficule to listen if everyone is speaking 7 Jazz became popular in the United States 8 Tm just going out co the shop. Pll be back een wor 9 (on the phone) ‘Can Lepeak to Clare?” ‘Tm afrcid the’s aot here : 10 In Britain people send each other cards 11 Many of Burope’s great cathedrals were built 12 Bob isa very fase runner. He can run 100 metres 1a Plloee yor...on... Friday. 402 Do you work enn Wednesdays? b Til see you x. next Friday. > Do you work... every Wednesday? (no preposition) Sa We usually have a holiday coon the 2a What are you doing Saturday? sommer. What are you doing cw the We often havea short holiday weekend? Christmas, 3a They often go out the evenings. 6 a Panline got married 1991 > They offen g0 Out nnn Sunday b Pauline got married .... 18 May 1991. evenings. ¢ Chris is getting married ....... this year, Put it at om or in. 1 Moraze was bora in Salzburg 1756. 2 Uhaven't seen Kate for a few days. I last saw her... Tuesday. 3 The price of electricity is going Up «a...» Ocrober. 4 Pve been invited to a wedding... 14 February. 5 Hurry up! We've got to go five minates. 6 T'm busy just now but I'll be with you ...-n. a moment. 7 Jenny's brothee is an engineer bat he's out of work the moment. 8 There are usually a lot Of part ensue New Year's Eve. 9 Thope the weather will be nice .. the weekend. 10 sss Saturday night I went to bed 11 o’elock 11 I don’s like travelling. night. 12. We tcavelled overnight to Paris and ervived 5 o'elock the morning. 13 The course begins 7 January and ends sometime April. 14 It was quite a short book and easy to read. [read i vovnewnn @ day. 1S Imight not be at home...» Tuesday morning but Pll probably be there on... the afternoon, 16 My car is being repaired at the garage. It will be ready two hours. 47 The telephone and che doorbell rang. the same time. 18 Mary and Henry always go out for a meal their wedding anniversary. 19 Henry is 63. He'll be retiring from his job ‘two years’ time. 2atis 474) On/in/at (other uses) On holiday ete. (belgo) on holiday / on business / on a trip / on a tour / on a cruise ere ® Tom's away at the moment. He’s on holiday in France. (not “in holiday’) ® Did you go to Germany on business or on holiday? © One day 1" like 19 go on a world tour. Note that you can also says “go to a place for a holiday / for my holicay(s): Tom has gone to France for a holiday. (not ‘for holiday’) © Where are you going for your hotidays next summer? Other expressions with on ‘on television / on the radio: © Ididn’t watch the news on television, but I heard it on the radio, ‘on the phone/telephone: You can’t phone me. I’m not on the phone. (= Ihaven't got a phone.) © ve never met her but I've spoken to her on the phone. (belgo) on strike /on a dict: (There are no trains today. The railway workers are on strike. © Ive put on a lot of weight. Pll have to go on a diet. (be) on fire: © Look! That car is on fire! ‘on the whole (= in general): * Sometimes { have problems at work but on the whole | enjoy my job. (on punpose (= incentiorally} I'm sorry. I didn't mean to annoy you. I didn’t do it on purpose. Buts by mistake J by chance / by accident (see Unit 127) Expressions with in jn the rain /in the sun (= sunshine) / in the shade /in the dark / in bad weather etc.: '¢ We sat in the shade. It was too hot to sit im the sun © Don’t go out in the rain. Wait until i stops. (write) in ink fin biro /in pencil: ‘When you do the exam, you're not allowed to write in pencil. Also: in words, in figures, in BLOCK LETTERS ete: 4 Please fill in the form in block letters. (pay) ia cash: @ [paid the bill in cash. but. | paid by cheque / by credie card (see Unit 127). {belfal) in love (with somebody! Have you ever been in love with anybody? in (my) opinion: ‘@ In my opinion, the film wasn't very good. At the age of... ere. ‘We say: at the age of... / ata speed of... ata temperature of... ee. For example: © Jill left school at 1. or ...at the age of 16. The train was travelling at 120 miles an hour. or ...at a speed of 120 miles an hour. © Water boils at 100 degrees celsius Avorn ie} > Iwaton (800) > EERE 9y > EEEunre EXERCISES 1 26 Bi; Complete the sentences using on + one of the following: basiness strike atour thewhole television fe holiday adie thephone purpose 1 Lookt Thac car is ..2n fire..1 Somebody call the fire brigade. 2 Its difficult to contact Sarah because she’s not 3 Workers at the factory have gone for hetter pay and conditions. 4 Soon after we arcived, we were taken of the city. 5 &: Pm going en NEE WeE, '& Are you? Where are you going? Somewhere nice? 6 Lfeel lazy this evening. Is there anything, worth watching... su? 7 Pim sorry. It was an accident. I didn’t do it. 8 George has put on a lot of weight recently. | think he should go 9 Jane’s job involves a lot of travelling, She often has to go away 10: How did your exams go? 1: Well, here were some dificult questions but. they were OK. Complete the sentences using in + one of the following: He likes to keep warm, so he doesn’t go out much . Diane never uses 2 pen. She always WHites woo. They fell ven with cach other almost immediately and were married in 2 few weeks. Please write your address clearly, preferably... ss don’: like the sun. I prefer co sit. Es : Ann thought the restaurant was OK, bur it wasn't very good, Uhardly ever use a credie card or cheques. I prefer to pay for things H.3 Put in the correct preposition: 08, ia, at, or for. 1 Water boils .a&., 100 degrees celsius. 2. When I was 14, went —...0n 0 trip to France organised by my school. 3 Twouldn’t like his job. He spends most of his time talking the phone. 4 Julia's grandmother died recently the age of 79. § Can you tom the light on, please? Ton’ want £0 fi wooo the dark, 6 Wedicn't 20 holiday last year. We stayed at home. 7 Ym going to Scotland ..ueran.~ a short holiday next month. 8 Twon't he here next week. Pil be oliday. 9 He got married 17, which is rather young to get married. 10 There was an interesting programme v-eun- the zadio this morning. u my opinion, violent films should not be shown television, 12 I woulda’s like to go a cruise. I think P¢ get bore 13 Lmustn’t eat too much. I'm supposed co be adiet. 14 In Britain, children start school the age of five 15 There was panic when people sealised that rhe building was. fire 16 The Barth travels round the Sun a spezd of 107,000 kilometres an hour. 17 ‘Did you enjoy your holiday? ‘Not every minute, but the whole, yes.” ‘When you write a cheque, you have to write the amount... words and figures.in at on (places 1) ina room ima garden ina shop im a cown inacar in the city centre in the water ae in Franc ‘Where’ David?” ‘In the kitchen. / In the garden. / In London’ ‘© What’ in that box / in that bag /in that cupboard? © Angela works in a shop / in a bank / in a factory. © Thada swim in the river /in the sea © Milan is in the north of Italy © Tlive in a town but I want to live in the country. Pm at my desk. ) a iy atthe busstop at the door at the trafic lights © There’ somebody at the bus stop / at the door. © The car is waiting at the traffic lights, © Julia is working at her desk at the top (of the page’ poh at the top / at the bottom / at the end (of ...): © Write your name at the top of the page. © My house is at the end of the street, C on ona shelf oma plate i 7 on aval = on a balcony i) on a door — ‘on the fioor etc im) on the ceiling ete © There are some books on the shelf and some pictures om the wall. © There are a lot of apples on those trees. © Don’ sit on the grass. It’ wet. © There is a stamp on the envelope. sko on a horse / ona bicycle / on a motor-bike © Who is that man on the motor-bike? [206] Fnvaton (places) FIRE) the top /the bottom ecc. => EE] at/onvin (ins) rgaA 99.2 EXERCISES Look at the pictures and ansiver the questions. Use in/at/on + the words in brackets (...). 1 Where is he? In the kitchen. 2 Where are the sh standi 8 Whereis she svimn 3. Where is the pei 9 Wher ndin 4 Where is the clock’ 10 Wt pider 3. Where is the bus? wi cing? 6 Where are the horses? 12 Wi seting? Putin ination. 1 Don'esit M.. the grass, Ie wet. 2 Wh 3 Look! Theresa man the roof. What’ he doing? 4 There area lot of fish this river 5. Our house 6" aber 45 — the number is the door, “Yes, turn lefé che tr the city centre. Brussels 9 There's a small park the top of the hill. 10 I think I heard the doorbell. There's somebady 11 Munich isa large city the south of Germany: 12 There are a few shops the end of the strc 13 Iesdi lot of things abicycle 14 I looked at the list of names. My name was 13. There isa mirror door. ¢ borom oF the list, UNIT 99 [207]