What is the difference between in time and on time?

On time means "punctual, at the scheduled time" ( The meeting started on time ). In time means "early enough, before it is too late" ( We arrived in time for the presentation ).

When do you use at, in, and on for time?

At for specific times and certain moments ( at 9 a.m. , at night ). In for longer periods ( in January , in 2024 , in the morning ). On for days and dates ( on Monday , on March 5th ).

When do you use at, in, and on for place?

At for a specific point ( at the office , at the airport ). In for an enclosed space or area ( in the room , in Paris ). On for a surface ( on the table , on the second floor ).

Are prepositions common on the TOEIC®?

Yes, very common. They appear in Part 5 (preposition choice), Part 6, and in Part 7 texts. Fixed expressions with prepositions are especially tested.

What is the difference between at the end and in the end?

At the end (of) means "at the final point of something" ( at the end of the meeting ). In the end means "finally, after everything" ( In the end, we decided to cancel ).

Preposiciones en inglés (in, at, on): guía completa para el TOEIC®

Prepositions in, at, on in English

The prepositions in, at, and on are among the most commonly used words in English, but also among the trickiest. On the TOEIC®, they appear in almost every section and are a frequent source of errors.

Prepositions of Time

Preposition	Usage	Examples
at	specific times, moments	at 3 p.m., at noon, at night, at the weekend
in	months, years, seasons, periods	in January, in 2024, in the morning, in summer
on	days, dates	on Monday, on March 5th, on Christmas Day, on my birthday

Prepositions of Place

Preposition	Usage	Examples
at	specific point, location	at home, at the office, at the airport, at the bus stop
in	enclosed space, area, city, country	in a room, in Paris, in a car, in the building
on	surface, floor, public transport	on the table, on the wall, on the bus, on the second floor

Common Fixed Expressions

Expression	Meaning
in advance	beforehand
in charge of	responsible for
in addition to	besides, as well as
at least	not less than
at risk	in danger
on behalf of	representing, for
on time	punctual, at the scheduled time
in time	early enough
on purpose	intentionally
in progress	underway, ongoing

Prepositions After Adjectives

Adjective + Preposition	Example
responsible for	She is responsible for the project.
interested in	He is interested in marketing.
good at	She is good at negotiating.
different from	This model is different from the previous one.
similar to	Our approach is similar to theirs.
aware of	Are you aware of the changes?

Prepositions After Verbs

Verb + Preposition	Example
depend on	Success depends on teamwork.
apply for	She applied for the position.
belong to	This laptop belongs to the company.
agree with	I agree with your proposal.
comply with	All employees must comply with the policy.
result in	The delay resulted in extra costs.

Common TOEIC® Traps

Prepositions are a recurring grammar point in TOEIC Part 5. Here are the most common traps.

On time vs in time: on time = punctual, in time = early enough. Do not confuse them
At the end vs in the end: at the end of = at the final point of something, in the end = finally
In the morning/afternoon but at night: an important exception to remember for the TOEIC®
In a car but on a bus/train/plane: use in for small vehicles and on for large public transport
Fixed expressions: adjective/verb + preposition combinations are fixed. Interested in (never *interested at)

Preparation Tips

Memorize fixed expressions: they are tested as-is on the TOEIC®
Learn adjective + preposition combinations: this is a classic Part 5 trap
Practice with full sentences: context helps you choose the right preposition. Try our free TOEIC practice exercises to train
Train on Part 5: prepositions are very frequently tested there

Find all our tips in our TOEIC preparation guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Master Prepositions with 990prep

The prepositions in, at, on are among the most common errors on the TOEIC®. Practice with 990prep exercises to use them correctly in every context.

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