PREPOSITIONS OF TIME: IN /ON

WHEN IS THE HOLIDAY PARTY?

It's on December 20th. / It's on Christmas Eve. / It's on Monday.	Use "on" before days of the week, dates, and holidays.
It's in the morning. / afternoon. / evening. / It's in December. / It's in the winter. / It's in (early / late) 2016.	Use "in" before times of day, months, seasons, and years.

Prepositions of time help us specify when events occur. "In" and "on" are two common prepositions used to talk about time. "In" is used for longer periods such as months, years, seasons, and longer periods of time, while "on" is used for specific days and dates. Understanding how to use these prepositions correctly helps in providing precise information about timing.

Useful Expressions

1. In - Used for:

   • Months: in January, in June
   • Years: in 2024, in 1995
   • Seasons: in winter, in summer
   • Long periods: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

2. On - Used for:

   • Days: on Monday, on Friday
   • Dates: on July 4th, on March 15th
   • Specific days: on my birthday, on Christmas Day

Sentences

1. She was born in December.
2. We will travel in 2024.
3. The conference is in the summer.
4. The meeting is on Monday.
5. My appointment is on the 5th of May.
6. The party is in the evening.
7. They usually have lunch in the afternoon.
8. The store will be closed on New Year’s Day.

Questions and Answers

Q: When is your birthday?
A: My birthday is on August 12th.

Q: When does the semester start?
A: The semester starts in September.

Q: What month is the conference held?
A: The conference is held in November.

Q: When will the new product be released?
A: The new product will be released in 2025.

Q: When is the annual company party?
A: The annual company party is on December 24th.

Q: When do you usually go on vacation?
A: I usually go on vacation in July.

Q: What day is the project deadline?
A: The project deadline is on the 30th of June.

Q: When do you have your weekly team meeting?
A: We have our weekly team meeting on Wednesdays.

Conversation

A: Hi Mark, when is your next vacation?

B: I’m going on vacation in July. How about you?

A: I’ll be traveling on the 15th of June. What day is the company retreat?

B: The company retreat is on the 10th of October.

A: Great! And when does the project submission deadline fall?

B: The project submission deadline is in the first week of December.

A: Perfect. I’ll make sure to finish everything before then. When do you usually have your team meetings?

B: We have our team meetings in the morning on Mondays.

A: Thanks for the info! I’ll plan accordingly.

B: No problem. Let me know if you need any more details.