CHAPTER 2 — PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
Prepositions of time help us understand when an event happens.
They are crucial for expressing dates, months, parts of the day, deadlines, duration, and specific moments.
2.1 What Are Prepositions of Time?
Prepositions of time are used to show the timing of an action or event.
They answer questions like When?, How long?, Since when?, and Till when?.
The most commonly used prepositions of time are:
- at
- on
- in
- during
- by
- before
- after
- since
- for
- from…to
- within
- throughout
2.2 Preposition: AT (Exact Time)
“At” is used for:
- Exact time (at 6:30 pm)
- Specific moments (at midnight, at dawn)
- Short festivals (at Holi)
Examples (with your students’ names):
- Rehan wakes up at 5:00 am every day.
- Sana reached school at 7:45 am.
- Prince studies at night when the house is quiet.
- Ruchi and Ikra always meet at lunchtime.
2.3 Preposition: ON (Days & Dates)
“On” is used for:
- Days (on Monday, on Sunday)
- Dates (on 5th August)
- Special days (on my birthday)
Examples:
- Tanvir submitted his project on Monday.
- Nimra Fatima was absent on 14th July.
- Arush has a football match on Saturday.
- Paridhi’s birthday is on the 2nd of March.
2.4 Preposition: IN (Months, Years, Long Periods)
“In” is used for longer periods:
- Months (in May)
- Years (in 2023)
- Seasons (in winter)
- Parts of the day (in the morning)
- Long periods (in ancient times)
Examples:
- Saddab joined the school in 2022.
- Anisha practises singing in the evening.
- Sufiyan goes for tuition in the morning.
- Faizan loves travelling in winter.
2.5 Preposition: DURING (Throughout a Period)
“During” is used to show an event happening within a specific period.
Examples:
- Tasir does not talk during the prayer time.
- Firdaush studied hard during the holidays.
- Rehan remained silent during the assembly.
2.6 Preposition: BY (Deadline)
“By” indicates the latest time something must happen.
Examples:
- Anisha must reach school by 8:00 am.
- Prince will finish his homework by evening.
- Ruchi promised to submit her file by tomorrow.
2.7 Preposition: BEFORE (Earlier Time)
“Before” is used for an event happening earlier than another event.
Examples:
- Sana wakes up before sunrise.
- Arush completed the task before the deadline.
2.8 Preposition: AFTER (Later Time)
“After” is used for events happening later.
Examples:
- Ikra goes to play after finishing her homework.
- Paridhi eats fruit after lunch.
2.9 Prepositions of Duration: SINCE & FOR
SINCE → starting point
Used with a specific point in time.
- since Monday
- since 2019
- since morning
Examples:
- Faizan has lived here since 2018.
- Anisha has been practising since 5 am.
FOR → duration
Used with a period of time.
- for two hours
- for one month
- for a long time
Examples:
- Rehan has been waiting for 20 minutes.
- Nimra Fatima studied for three hours today.
2.10 Preposition: WITHIN (Inside a Time Limit)
Used to show that something must happen inside a time boundary.
Examples:
- Prince must complete the test within one hour.
- Ruchi will call her parents within ten minutes.
2.11 Preposition: THROUGHOUT (Entire Duration)
Means “from beginning to end continuously”.
Examples:
- Anisha remained cheerful throughout the event.
- Sufiyan practised hard throughout the summer.
2.12 TIME-CHART (Teacher Tool)
AT → exact time ON → days & dates IN → months, years, seasons, long periods BY → deadline BEFORE → earlier AFTER → later SINCE → starting point FOR → duration WITHIN → inside limit DURING → throughout a period THROUGHOUT → entire duration
2.13 Exercise (Student Practice)
- Rehan will arrive ___ 7 pm.
- Paridhi plays badminton ___ Sunday.
- Sana studies ___ the evening.
- Prince must submit his homework ___ tomorrow morning.
- Anisha has been practising ___ two hours.
- Faizan has lived in Motihari ___ 2021.
- We do not talk ___ the assembly.
- Ruchi reached school ___ time.
- Ikra will finish the task ___ an hour.
- Sufiyan was born ___ 2010.
2.14 Answer Key (Teacher Only)
- at
- on
- in
- by
- for
- since
- during
- on
- within
- in