Master Prepositions of Time: 100+ Examples for Exam Success

Prepositions of Time: Introduction

Prepositions of time are essential building blocks of English grammar, indicating when an action takes place with words like “in,” “on,” or “at.” For students and candidates preparing for competitive exams like SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE, a strong grasp of prepositions of time is vital for excelling in grammar, comprehension, and writing sections. These prepositions, such as “before” in “I will call before noon,” provide critical temporal context. This article offers over 100 prepositions of time examples with meanings, along with practical tips to enhance your exam performance.

What Are Prepositions of Time?

Prepositions of time specify the time when an action occurs, answering “when” or “for how long.” Common examples include “during,” “since,” and “until,” and they are frequently tested in competitive exam grammar and sentence structure sections.

100+ Examples of Prepositions of Time with Meanings

Below is an extensive list of over 100 prepositions of time, showcasing their use and meanings to strengthen your grammar skills.

1. At – Specific time (The meeting is at 2 PM).
2. On – Specific day or date (We met on Monday).
3. In – Month, year, or general time (She was born in 1990).
4. Before – Earlier than (He left before noon).
5. After – Later than (She arrived after dinner).
6. During – Throughout (They talked during the movie).
7. For – Duration (He studied for two hours).
8. Since – From a specific point (I’ve been here since 2010).
9. Until – Up to a point (Wait until 5 PM).
10. Till – Up to a point (Stay till evening).
11. By – No later than (Finish it by tomorrow).
12. To – Up to (From 9 to 5).
13. From – Starting point (From Monday onward).
14. Through – From beginning to end (Work through the night).
15. Throughout – All through (Rain fell throughout the day).
16. Within – In less than (Complete it within a week).
17. Past – After (It’s past midnight).
18. Beyond – Later than (The deadline is beyond today).
19. Between – During two points (Meet between 2 and 3).
20. Among – Within a group (Distributed among the months).
21. Over – During (They traveled over the weekend).
22. Across – Spanning (Events across the year).
23. Around – Approximately (See you around noon).
24. About – Approximately (Start about 10 AM).
25. On time – At the scheduled time (The train arrived on time).
26. In time – Before it’s too late (We got in time).
27. At once – Immediately (Do it at once).
28. At present – Currently (He is busy at present).
29. At the moment – Right now (She is working at the moment).
30. At night – During the night (He sleeps at night).
31. In the morning – During the morning (She jogs in the morning).
32. In the afternoon – During the afternoon (They meet in the afternoon).
33. In the evening – During the evening (He reads in the evening).
34. On the weekend – During the weekend (We relax on the weekend).
35. On weekdays – During weekdays (She works on weekdays).
36. In winter – During winter (It snows in winter).
37. In summer – During summer (They swim in summer).
38. In spring – During spring (Flowers bloom in spring).
39. In autumn – During autumn (Leaves fall in autumn).
40. In January – During January (The festival is in January).
41. In 2025 – During 2025 (He plans to travel in 2025).
42. On January 1st – On that specific date (We celebrate on January 1st).
43. On Sunday – On that specific day (Church is on Sunday).
44. At dawn – At the start of day (He wakes at dawn).
45. At dusk – At the end of day (They return at dusk).
46. At noon – At 12 PM (Lunch is at noon).
47. At midnight – At 12 AM (The party ends at midnight).
48. Before dawn – Earlier than dawn (He left before dawn).
49. After noon – Later than noon (She called after noon).
50. During the day – Throughout the day (He works during the day).
51. For a while – For some time (She stayed for a while).
52. Since morning – From morning onward (He’s been busy since morning).
53. Until evening – Up to evening (Wait until evening).
54. Till tomorrow – Up to tomorrow (Postpone it till tomorrow).
55. By evening – No later than evening (Finish by evening).
56. To date – Up to now (No changes to date).
57. From now – Starting now (Work from now).
58. Through Friday – Until Friday (Available through Friday).
59. Throughout the year – All year (Events occur throughout the year).
60. Within an hour – In less than an hour (Call within an hour).
61. Past noon – After noon (It happened past noon).
62. Beyond midnight – Later than midnight (He worked beyond midnight).
63. Between morning and noon – During that period (Meeting between morning and noon).
64. Among the days – Within the days (Spread among the days).
65. Over the month – During the month (Rain over the month).
66. Across the week – Spanning the week (Tasks across the week).
67. Around midnight – Approximately midnight (He left around midnight).
68. About dawn – Approximately dawn (She woke about dawn).
69. On the dot – Exactly on time (He arrived on the dot).
70. In the nick of time – Just in time (They finished in the nick of time).
71. At the eleventh hour – At the last moment (He agreed at the eleventh hour).
72. In due time – At the right time (Success will come in due time).
73. At length – After a long time (They talked at length).
74. In a moment – Very soon (He’ll be here in a moment).
75. In an instant – Immediately (She reacted in an instant).
76. In the meantime – During the interval (In the meantime, wait).
77. Meantime – During the same period (Meantime, he prepared).
78. Meanwhile – At the same time (She cooked; meanwhile, he cleaned).
79. During which – Throughout which (The time during which he worked).
80. For the time being – Temporarily (Stay for the time being).
81. Since then – From that time (He changed since then).
82. Until now – Up to now (She has waited until now).
83. Till date – Up to today (No progress till date).
84. By the time – No later than when (By the time he arrived).
85. From time to time – Occasionally (They meet from time to time).
86. Over time – Gradually (Skills improve over time).
87. In course of time – As time passes (Truth will emerge in course of time).
88. In the long run – Over a long period (It pays in the long run).
89. In the short term – For a short period (It helps in the short term).
90. At this point – At this moment (At this point, we stop).
91. At that point – At that moment (At that point, he left).
92. In those days – During that period (They were happy in those days).
93. In these days – During this period (Life is busy in these days).
94. On that day – On that specific day (It rained on that day).
95. On this day – On this specific day (We celebrate on this day).
96. At that time – At that moment (He was busy at that time).
97. At this time – At this moment (She is free at this time).
98. In the past – Earlier times (He lived in the past).
99. In the future – Later times (Plans are in the future).
100. From dawn to dusk – From morning to evening (He worked from dawn to dusk).
101. From year to year – Year after year (Prices rise from year to year).
102. Till the end – Up to the finish (They stayed till the end).
103. By next week – No later than next week (Submit by next week).
104. Since last month – From last month (He’s been ill since last month).
105. During the night – Throughout the night (It stormed during the night).
106. Over the years – During the years (She improved over the years).

Prepositions of Time: Tips for Using Prepositions of Time in Competitive Examinations

Prepositions of time are a key focus in SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE exams, tested through grammar, sentence correction, and comprehension tasks. Here are essential tips to master them:

1. Learn Usage Rules: Know “at” for exact times, “on” for days, and “in” for longer periods for SSC grammar.
2. Practice Placement: Use prepositions at the start, middle, or end (e.g., “In 2025, she will go”) for IELTS writing.
3. Identify in Texts: Spot prepositions of time in reading passages (e.g., “since”) for GRE comprehension.
4. Avoid Errors: Ensure correct pairing (e.g., “at night,” not “in night”) for TOEFL writing.
5. Match Context: Use appropriate prepositions (e.g., “for” for duration) for SSC tests.
6. Enhance Speaking: Use prepositions of time (e.g., “I’ll be there by 5”) in IELTS/TOEFL speaking for clarity.
7. Solve Exercises: Use SSC/TOEFL workbooks with preposition fill-in-the-blanks to build accuracy.
8. Practice Writing: Include varied prepositions (e.g., “She worked until late”) in GRE essays.
9. Review Regularly: Create lists of examples for daily revision, aiding vocabulary growth.
10. Mock Test Practice: Take SSC/IELTS mock tests to identify weak areas in preposition usage.

Prepositions of Time: Conclusion

Prepositions of time are a vital skill for indicating when actions occur, essential for excelling in competitive exams like SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE, where they test grammar and writing proficiency. By mastering the 100+ prepositions of time examples provided and applying the tips above, students and candidates can confidently tackle exam challenges and enhance their language skills. Consistent practice and a clear understanding of prepositions of time will lead to exam success and improved communication abilities.

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