Prepositions of Time & Place

Prepositions are small but essential words that show the relationship of time and place between a noun and the rest of the sentence. Choosing the right preposition often depends on fixed usage rather than logic, which is why this is one of the trickiest topics for English learners.

Edatlar, bir isimle cümlenin geri kalanı arasındaki zaman ve yer ilişkisini kuran küçük ama önemli kelimelerdir. Doğru edatı seçmek çoğu zaman mantığa değil, yerleşik kullanım kalıplarına dayanır, bu yüzden İngilizce öğrenenler için en zorlayıcı konulardan biridir.

Time prepositions: clock time → at, day → on, month/year → inZaman edatları: saat → at, gün → on, ay/yıl → in

📐 Rule

Time Prepositions: AT, ON, IN
Zaman Edatları: AT, ON, IN

AT for exact times: at 7 o'clock, at noon, at midnight.
AT: kesin saatler için — at 7 o'clock, at noon, at midnight.
ON for days and dates: on Monday, on 5 July, on my birthday.
ON: günler ve tarihler için — on Monday, on 5 July, on my birthday.
IN for months, years, seasons, and longer periods: in July, in 2024, in winter, in the morning.
IN: aylar, yıllar, mevsimler ve daha uzun süreler için — in July, in 2024, in winter, in the morning.

Place Prepositions: AT, ON, IN
Yer Edatları: AT, ON, IN

AT for a specific point: at the bus stop, at the door, at home.
AT: belirli bir nokta için — at the bus stop, at the door, at home.
ON for a surface: on the table, on the wall, on the second floor.
ON: bir yüzeyin üzerinde — on the table, on the wall, on the second floor.
IN for an enclosed space: in the box, in the room, in London.
IN: kapalı bir alanın içinde — in the box, in the room, in London.

Prepositions of Movement
Hareket Bildiren Edatlar

TO shows movement toward a direction: go to school, travel to Paris.
TO: bir yöne doğru hareket bildirir — go to school, travel to Paris.
FROM...TO shows movement from one point to another: from Monday to Friday.
FROM...TO: bir noktadan diğerine hareketi bildirir — from Monday to Friday.
INTO and OUT OF show entering or leaving: walk into the room, get out of the car.
INTO ve OUT OF: bir şeyin içine ya da dışına hareketi bildirir — walk into the room, get out of the car.

Common Fixed Expressions
Sık Kullanılan Sabit İfadeler

at night, but in the morning/afternoon/evening.
at night, ama in the morning/afternoon/evening.
on time (punctual) vs. in time (with enough time to spare).
on time (zamanında) vs in time (yetişecek kadar zamanla).
by shows a deadline: by 5 o'clock, by Friday.
by, bir son tarihi belirtir: by 5 o'clock, by Friday.

✏️ Examples

I wake up at 7 o'clock.
Saat 7'de uyanırım.
The meeting is on Monday.
Toplantı Pazartesi günü.
She was born in 1998.
O 1998'de doğdu.
The keys are on the table.
Anahtarlar masanın üstünde.
We live in a small town.
Küçük bir kasabada yaşıyoruz.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

✗ I was born on 1998.✓ I was born in 1998.
✗ See you in Monday.✓ See you on Monday.

📖 Reading Passage

~1 min read

A Day at School

Classes start at eight o'clock in the morning. On Mondays, students have math first, and then they go to the science lab. The classroom is on the second floor, next to the library.

At lunchtime, students eat in the cafeteria or sit outside under the big trees in the yard. After lunch, there is usually a break of fifteen minutes before the next class begins.

School finishes at three in the afternoon. On Fridays, many students stay a little longer for sports club. Then everyone goes home before it gets dark in the evening.

Dersler sabah saat sekizde başlar. Pazartesi günleri öğrenciler önce matematik dersine girer, sonra fen laboratuvarına gider. Sınıf ikinci katta, kütüphanenin yanındadır.

Öğle yemeğinde öğrenciler kafeteryada yemek yer ya da bahçedeki büyük ağaçların altında dışarıda otururlar. Öğle yemeğinden sonra, bir sonraki ders başlamadan önce genelde on beş dakikalık bir ara olur.

Okul öğleden sonra saat üçte biter. Cuma günleri birçok öğrenci spor kulübü için biraz daha kalır. Sonra herkes akşam hava kararmadan önce eve gider.

🧠 Test Yourself

📝 Mini Quiz

0/5

1. I have an appointment ___ 3 o'clock.

2. Her birthday is ___ July.

3. The cat is ___ the box.

4. The train leaves ___ platform 4 ___ 9:15.

5. She was born ___ Istanbul ___ 1995.

🔖 Summary — Quick Recap

AT = point / ON = surface, day / IN = enclosed, longer time

AT: exact time or point — at 7pm, at the door.
AT: kesin saat ya da nokta — at 7pm, at the door.
ON: days/dates or a surface — on Monday, on the table.
ON: gün/tarih ya da yüzey — on Monday, on the table.
IN: months/years/seasons or an enclosed space — in July, in the box.
IN: ay/yıl/mevsim ya da kapalı alan — in July, in the box.