Grammar 2 Flashcards
On, In, At
- ON: We use “on” for days and dates.
e.g.
I have a meeting on Monday morning.
Their anniversary is on June 10th.
The deadline is on March 13th.
ON + DAY/DATE - AT: We use “at” for specific times, mealtimes, and holiday periods.
e.g.
I go to the gym at 6 o’clock every morning.
Tom’s meeting Jenny at lunchtime.
She’s coming to visit at Easter.
AT + TIME/ TIME PERIOD - IN: We use “in” for months, seasons, times of day, periods of time and years.
e.g.
My birthday’s in August.
The weather is hot in summer.
I do my homework in the evening.
The first train was invented in 1804.
IN + MONTH/SEASON/YEAR
We use IN + THE to talk about historical time periods e.g. decades, centuries, eras, etc.
On, In, At
IN: a/the car, a taxi, the house, a boat, an elevator (UK - lift), the newspaper, the sea, a row.
Is generally used for a closed space
AT: Home, work, school, university, the top, the bottom, the side
At is generally used for a particular point
ON: the internet, a bus/plane/train/ship/ horse/camel/motorbike/ice skates, the radio/tv, a named street etc.
To, in, at
TO
1. With the infinitive
To is often included with the infinitive form of the verb such as to go, to play, to read etc.
2. Move from one place to another
- He moved to Vannes.
- I’m going to work.
3. From/to/until
- I work 9 to 5 (from 9:00 until 5:00).
4. Phrasal verbs
- get to/up to something/up to someone
IN
1. Inside a place with walls/borders
- In the kitchen/the garden/the newspaper/Italy
2. Surrounded by something
- in bed/in the bath/in water/in trouble
3. Time
- In the morning/afternoon/evening (not night unless it’s the middle of the night)
- decades, centuries, dynasties, ages
AT
1. Times/time of day/festivals
- At 12:30
- At breakfast/lunch/ etc.
- At Christmas
2. Location
- At work/home/school etc.
- At the end of the street
From…to, until, since, for
- FROM…TO
We use FROM…TO to express the duration of dates and times.
E.g. We lived in Plovdiv from 2007 to 2010.
We can also use FROM and UNTIL
E.g. Phone lines are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day. - UNTIL + END OF A PERIOD
E.g. Wait here until I get back.
You can also use the abbreviation “til.” This is more common in spoken English and is less formal.
E.g. She won’t be home til 10. - SINCE + BEGINNING OF A PERIOD
We use since after the present perfect to talk about a period of time up until now.
E.g. You’ve been working here since 2015.
When since introduces an action or event at a point of time in the past, we can use the past simple or present perfect after since and the present perfect in the main clause:
E.g. They haven’t received any letters since they moved.
We can use the past simple, present perfect or past perfect after since with the expression it + be + time + since:
E.g. It’d been years since I’d driven a car. - FOR + TOTAL PERIOD OF TIME
We use for to explain the total duration something took or happened for.
E.g. I’ve been a vegetarian for 4 years now.
Before, after, during, while
DURING
During is used when something happens from approximately the beginning to the end of a period of time, or within it. Being a preposition, “during” is always followed by a noun.
During + noun
e.g. I went to the bathroom during the interval.
BEFORE, AFTER & WHILE
Before, after, and while are subordinating conjunctions. They are used to connect an action or event to a point in time.
e.g. Wash your hands after you touch the dog.
(Action + conjunction + time)
Often conjunctions can be followed by v-ing or ed forms of the word.
BEFORE & AFTER
We use before and after to sequence events in the past or the future. Either the main clause or the subordinate clause can come first.
E.g. You have to do your homework before you go out.
Or
Before you go out, you have to do your homework.
WHILE
We use while to show actions are happening at the same time in the past or will happen at the same time in the future.
e.g. I’ll drive while you sleep.
Afraid of …, good at.., of/at/for + -ing
When the prepositions “of,” “at,” “for” and so on are used with a verb, the verb must use the V-ing form.
e.g.
I’m afraid of dying alone.
These shoes are good for hiking.
Natalie’s good at driving.
OF + V-ING
We commonly use “of” with “afraid of” and “scared of.”
Why do we use the “ing” form here and NOT the infinitive?
We use the “ing” form because we use afraid of/scared of when we see an unwelcome result of an action that is not explicitly explained.
e.g.
He’s scared of flying (because the plane might crash)
NOT
He’s afraid to travel by plane.
AT + V-ING
We use “at” to show a skill or attribute, something that can be done. Someone or something can be good or bad at something.
e.g.
Leon is good at cooking.
FOR + V-ING
We use “for” to show purpose or use.
E.g.
Smartphones are now the most popular tool for accessing the internet.
This field is used for growing corn.
