Compare at, on and in:
- They arrived at 5 o´clock.
- They arrived on Friday.
- They arrived in October.
- They arrived in 1968.
We use
at for the time of day:
at 5 o´clock at 11.45 at midnight at lunchtime at sunset etc
on for days and dates:
on Friday / on Fridays on 12 March 1991 on Christmas Day on my birthday
in for longer periods (for example, months, years, seasons):
in October in 1968 in the 18th century in the past in (the) winter in the 1970s
in the Middle Ages in the future
We use at in these expressions:
at night I don´t like going out at night.
at the weekend / at weekends Will you be here at the weekend?
at Christmas / at Easter Do you give each other presents at Christmas?
at the moment / at present Mr Benn is busy at the moment / at present.
at the same time Liz and I arrived at the same time.
Note that we usually ask "What time....?" (not usually "At what time...?")
* What time are you going out this evening?
We say:
in the morning(s) in the afternoon(s) in the evening(s)
I´ll see you in the morning. Do you work in the evenings?
but on Friday morning(s) on Sunday afternoon(s) on Monday evening(s) etc
I´ll be at home on Friday morning
Do you usually go out on Saturday evenings?
We do not use at / on / in before last / next / this / every
I´ll see you next Friday.
They got married last March.
In a few minutes / in six months etc = a time in the future
The train will be leaving in a few minutes. (from now)
Jack has gone away. He´ll be back in a week.
She´ll be here in a moment.
You can also say in six months´ time, in a week´s time etc
- They are getting married in six months´ time. (or ... in six months.)
We also use in... to say how long it takes to do something:
- I learnt to drive in four weeks. (it took me four weeks to learn)
Source: English Grammar in Use - Raymond Murphy
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