Introduction
Why do we say The bank is on Grimshaw Lane. and She lives at 132 Gainsborough Avenue, but not *She lives in 132 Gainsborough Avenue or *The bank is at Grimshaw Lane?
Many learners and teachers sometimes view the usage and meaning of prepositions as a secret that can’t be unlocked. However, if we examine the syntactic environments of such key prepositions systematically, patterns of usage and core meaning concepts emerge which can aid explanation and learning.
The prepositions at, in and on are often used in English to talk about places (positions) and times. Sometimes the choice of one over another in a particular phrase or sentence seems arbitrary. However if we analyse patterns of occurrence we can identify key concepts in meaning and usage which consistently apply and can be used as a platform for learning.
1. Prepositions of time
The preposition AT is used in the following descriptions of time:
With clock times:
With specific times of day, or mealtimes:
With festivals:
In certain fixed expressions which refer to specific points in time:
**Note that in American English, on the weekend is the correct form.
The preposition IN is used in the following descriptions of time:
With months, years, seasons, and longer periods of time:
With periods of time during the day:
To describe the amount of time needed to do something:
The preposition ON is used in the following descriptions of time:
With days of the week, and parts of days of the week:
Note that in spoken English, on is often omitted in this context, e.g.: I’ll see you Friday.
With dates:
With special days:
If we examine these different aspects of usage for the three prepositions, a general pattern emerges. At is generally used in reference to specific times on the clock or points of time in the day. In generally refers to longer periods of time, several hours or more. On is used with dates and named days of the week.
2. Prepositions of place
The preposition AT is used in the following descriptions of place/position:
With specific places/points in space:
With public places and shops:
With addresses:
With events:
The preposition ON is used in the following descriptions of place/position:
With surfaces, or things that can be thought of as surfaces:
With roads/streets, or other things that can be thought of as a line, e.g.: rivers:
The preposition IN is used in the following descriptions of place/position:
With geographical regions:
With cities, towns and larger areas:
With buildings/rooms and places that can be thought of as surrounding a person or object on all sides:
With containers:
With liquids and other substances, to show what they contain:
A general pattern again emerges if we consider these different aspects of usage. We can think of at as one-dimensional, referring to a specific place or position in space. On is two dimensional, referring to the position of something in relation to a surface. In is by contrast three-dimensional, referring to the position of something in relation to the things that surround it. Thinking of the prepositions in these terms helps us explain certain facts. For instance, in is generally used for larger places and at for smaller, more specific places, so we say:
We arrived in Inverness two hours ago.
But:
We arrived at the campsite two hours ago.
However, if we think of a city or larger place as a specific point in space, we can use at, e.g.:
The train stops at Birmingham and Bristol.
Or if we think of a smaller place as three dimensional, we can use in, e.g.:
We’ve lived in this little village for many years.
3. Prepositions at/in/on – extended meanings
A systematic analysis of the occurrence of the prepositions at, in and on in their core usage as indicators of time and place, helps us establish some key meaning concepts which will aid us in identifying and explaining their extended meanings:
Extended meaning of AT
Tickets are now on sale at £15 each.He denied driving at 110 miles per hour.
Interest rates have stayed at this level for several months.The loan repayments are going up at an alarming rate.
He began composing at the age of 5.She chose not to retire at 65.
He’s always shouting at the children.Jamie threw the ball at the wall.Why are you staring at her like that?
Audiences still laugh at her jokes.We were rather surprised at the news.
Extended meanings of ON
We could hear the rain falling on the roof.I dropped my bags on the floor.
I cut my finger on a sharp knife.She banged her head on the cupboard door.
She was balancing on one leg.He was on his hands and knees under the table.
He’s not on the list of suspects.How many items are on the agenda?
Extended meanings of in
She put the letter back in her briefcase..The farmer fired a few shots in the air.
I’ve found one or two spelling mistakes in your essay.Who’s the little girl in the photograph?There are several valuable paintings in the collection.
Do you know that girl in the black dress?A man in a brown suit was walking towards her.
We gathered round in a circle.Their names are given in alphabetical order.Complete the form in block capitals.She spoke to me in Spanish.
Source : http://www.onestopenglish.com/