Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.
— Eleanor Roosevelt
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- 1. AT – for Specific Points in Time
- 2. IN – for Longer Periods
- 3. ON – for Days and Dates
- 4. BY – Meaning “Not Later Than”
- 5. FROM…TO / FROM…UNTIL – for Duration
- 6. UNTIL / TILL – Up to a Point
- 7. FOR – Duration (How Long)
- 8. DURING – Within a Period
- 9. SINCE – From a Past Point to Now
- 10. WITHIN – Inside a Time Limit
- Quick Reference Table
- Practice Tip
Prepositions of time are essential for expressing when something happens. Using them correctly makes your English sound natural and precise. Below, we break down the most common time prepositions—at, in, on, by, from…to, until, for, during, since, within—with clear rules and 50 practical examples –
1. AT – for Specific Points in Time
Rule: Use at for:
-
Clock times (at 5 o’clock)
-
Specific points in the day (at noon, at midnight, at night)
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Mealtimes (at breakfast, at lunch)
-
Specific moments (at the moment, at present)
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The meeting starts at 9 a.m. | मीटिंग सुबह 9 बजे शुरू होती है। |
| 2 | I’ll call you at noon. | मैं तुम्हें दोपहर में फोन करूँगा। |
| 3 | She works at night. | वह रात में काम करती है। |
| 4 | Let’s discuss this at lunch. | चलो दोपहर के भोजन पर इस पर चर्चा करते हैं। |
| 5 | At the moment, he is busy. | इस समय वह व्यस्त है। |
2. IN – for Longer Periods
Rule: Use in for:
-
Parts of the day (in the morning, in the evening) – exception: at night
-
Months (in January)
-
Years (in 2024)
-
Seasons (in summer)
-
Centuries/decades (in the 21st century)
-
Durations (in a few minutes, in two hours)
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | I like to walk in the morning. | मुझे सुबह में टहलना पसंद है। |
| 7 | She was born in January. | उसका जन्म जनवरी में हुआ था। |
| 8 | We moved here in 2015. | हम 2015 में यहाँ आए थे। |
| 9 | Flowers bloom in spring. | फूल बसंत में खिलते हैं। |
| 10 | I’ll finish the report in two hours. | मैं रिपोर्ट दो घंटे में खत्म कर दूंगा। |
3. ON – for Days and Dates
Rule: Use on for:
-
Days of the week (on Monday)
-
Specific dates (on 5th June)
-
Special days (on Diwali, on my birthday)
-
Parts of a specific day (on Monday morning, on Friday evening)
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | See you on Friday. | शुक्रवार को मिलते हैं। |
| 12 | The event is on 15th August. | कार्यक्रम 15 अगस्त को है। |
| 13 | We give gifts on Diwali. | हम दिवाली पर उपहार देते हैं। |
| 14 | She arrived on Monday evening. | वह सोमवार शाम को पहुंची। |
| 15 | I was born on 10th May. | मेरा जन्म 10 मई को हुआ था। |
4. BY – Meaning “Not Later Than”
Rule: Use by to indicate a deadline – the action must be completed at or before that time.
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Please submit the assignment by 5 p.m. | कृपया असाइनमेंट शाम 5 बजे तक जमा करें। |
| 17 | I’ll be home by midnight. | मैं आधी रात तक घर पहुँच जाऊँगा। |
| 18 | You must finish by Friday. | तुम्हें शुक्रवार तक खत्म करना होगा। |
| 19 | The store closes by 9 p.m. | दुकान रात 9 बजे तक बंद हो जाती है। |
| 20 | We need to decide by tomorrow. | हमें कल तक फैसला करना है। |
5. FROM…TO / FROM…UNTIL – for Duration
Rule: Use from…to (or from…until) to show the start and end of a period.
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | मैं सुबह 9 से शाम 5 बजे तक काम करता हूँ। |
| 22 | The shop is open from Monday to Saturday. | दुकान सोमवार से शनिवार तक खुली है। |
| 23 | She will stay from June until August. | वह जून से अगस्त तक रुकेगी। |
| 24 | We waited from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. | हमने दोपहर 3 से शाम 6 बजे तक इंतजार किया। |
| 25 | The sale runs from 1st to 10th January. | सेल 1 से 10 जनवरी तक चलती है। |
6. UNTIL / TILL – Up to a Point
Rule: Use until (or till) to say something continues up to a specific time and then stops.
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | We danced until midnight. | हम आधी रात तक नाचते रहे। |
| 27 | The store is open till 9 p.m. | दुकान रात 9 बजे तक खुली है। |
| 28 | Wait here until I come back. | यहाँ मेरे लौटने तक इंतजार करो। |
| 29 | I didn’t sleep till 3 a.m. | मैं सुबह 3 बजे तक नहीं सोया। |
| 30 | She won’t arrive until Monday. | वह सोमवार तक नहीं आएगी। |
7. FOR – Duration (How Long)
Rule: Use for to say how long something lasts – followed by a period of time (hours, days, years, etc.).
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | I’ve lived here for 10 years. | मैं यहाँ 10 सालों से रह रहा हूँ। |
| 32 | We talked for two hours. | हमने दो घंटे बात की। |
| 33 | She will be away for a week. | वह एक सप्ताह के लिए बाहर रहेगी। |
| 34 | He slept for only 3 hours. | वह केवल 3 घंटे सोया। |
| 35 | I’m going on vacation for five days. | मैं पाँच दिनों के लिए छुट्टी पर जा रहा हूँ। |
8. DURING – Within a Period
Rule: Use during to say something happens within a particular period (often alongside a noun). Compare with for (duration) and while (clause).
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | He fell asleep during the movie. | वह फिल्म के दौरान सो गया। |
| 37 | I met many people during my trip. | मैंने अपनी यात्रा के दौरान कई लोगों से मुलाकात की। |
| 38 | Please don’t talk during the meeting. | कृपया मीटिंग के दौरान बात न करें। |
| 39 | The incident happened during the night. | घटना रात के दौरान हुई। |
| 40 | She called me during lunch. | उसने मुझे दोपहर के भोजन के दौरान फोन किया। |
9. SINCE – From a Past Point to Now
Rule: Use since with a specific point in time (date, year, moment) to indicate the start of a period that continues to the present. Often used with present perfect.
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | I’ve been waiting since 8 a.m. | मैं सुबह 8 बजे से इंतजार कर रहा हूँ। |
| 42 | She has worked here since 2018. | वह 2018 से यहाँ काम कर रही है। |
| 43 | We haven’t met since last Monday. | हम पिछले सोमवार से नहीं मिले हैं। |
| 44 | He has been ill since Tuesday. | वह मंगलवार से बीमार है। |
| 45 | I’ve known her since childhood. | मैं उसे बचपन से जानता हूँ। |
10. WITHIN – Inside a Time Limit
Rule: Use within to say something will happen before a certain period ends – emphasising the inside limit.
| English Example | Hindi Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | I’ll finish the work within two days. | मैं काम दो दिनों के भीतर खत्म कर दूंगा। |
| 47 | The doctor will see you within an hour. | डॉक्टर आपको एक घंटे के भीतर देखेंगे। |
| 48 | Please reply within 24 hours. | कृपया 24 घंटे के भीतर जवाब दें। |
| 49 | The parcel should arrive within a week. | पार्सल एक सप्ताह के भीतर आ जाना चाहिए। |
| 50 | We must decide within the next few days. | हमें अगले कुछ दिनों के भीतर फैसला करना होगा। |
Quick Reference Table
| Preposition | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| at | specific time / point | at 6 p.m., at midnight |
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of day | in July, in 2025, in the evening |
| on | days, dates | on Monday, on 10th May |
| by | deadline (not later than) | by Friday, by 5 o’clock |
| from…to | start and end | from 9 to 5 |
| until/till | up to a point | until midnight |
| for | duration (how long) | for two hours |
| during | within a period | during the meeting |
| since | from a past point till now | since 2020 |
| within | inside a time limit | within an hour |
Practice Tip
To master these, try describing your daily schedule using different prepositions. For example:
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I wake up at 6 a.m.
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I have breakfast in the morning.
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I work from 9 to 5.
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I exercise for an hour in the evening.
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I relax at night.
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I sleep by 11 p.m.
With consistent practice, you’ll use them naturally. Happy learning!
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
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