Questions and Answers
Ten o’clock is ______ eleven o’clock.
before
He slept ______ the day.
during
We will leave ______ six.
at around
They will arrive ______ five and six.
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Our guests stayed ______ midnight.
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They have been here ______ a week.
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He lived in the sixteenth ______.
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We came here in ______.
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We have a meeting ______ noon.
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I will be available ______ the whole week.
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The store closes ______ midnight.
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He has lived here ______ 2010.
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The project is due ______ Friday.
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Study Notes
Prepositions of Time
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Before and After: Indicate the order of events. Before relates to a time prior to an event, while after indicates a time following an event. For instance, ten o'clock comes before eleven o'clock.
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During, Through, Throughout:
- During pertains to a part of a period, e.g., sleeping during the day means sleeping for part of the day.
- Through is used when discussing an entire period, e.g., sleeping through the day means sleeping from morning until night.
- Throughout refers to the entirety of an event or time span, e.g., sleeping throughout the football game.
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At Around, At About, By:
- At around and at about express approximate times, e.g., leaving at around six.
- By signifies a time limit, indicating no later than a specified time, e.g., needing to be at a location by seven-fifteen.
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By the Time: Used to indicate a specific point when an event or action will occur, e.g., by the time you arrive, we will have already left.
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To, Of, Towards:
- "To" is used to signify minutes before the hour, e.g., ten to four.
- Towards indicates the approach of a time period, e.g., it was towards evening when she called.
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Between and Within:
- Between indicates a duration after one time and before another, e.g., arriving between five and six.
- Within suggests a time frame from the present moment to a specified length of time, e.g., they will arrive within ten minutes.
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Beyond, Past, Until:
- Beyond indicates a point in time that surpasses. For example, guests staying beyond midnight.
- Past is similar, meaning after a certain time, e.g., the party ends past ten.
- Until refers to a stopping point or limit in time, e.g., the party will last until ten.
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For and Since:
- For refers to a duration of time, such as being present for a week.
- Since indicates the starting point of a duration, e.g., since last Thursday.
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In and On:
- In is used for longer periods such as months or seasons, e.g., they came in October.
- On is for specific days or dates, e.g., coming on Monday or October 6.
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At:
- Used to specify a precise time, e.g., at ten o'clock.
- Can also refer to times of day, like at night or at present, meaning now.
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With: Indicates concurrent occurrences, e.g., waking up with the sun.
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Out of and Ahead of:
- Out of time refers to having no time left, e.g., running out of time.
- Ahead of time means being early, allowing for extra preparation.
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Up:
- Time is up indicates there is no remaining official time for an activity, e.g., sitting down when time was up.
Prepositions of Time
- Before / After: Indicates the temporal relationship; "before" refers to a time earlier than another, while "after" indicates a time following another.
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Examples:
- Ten o'clock is before eleven o'clock.
- Three o'clock is after two o'clock.
During / Through / Throughout
- During: Refers to a specific part of a time period.
- Example: He slept during the day (from 2 PM to 4 PM).
- Through: Indicates an action occurring for the entire duration of a period.
- Example: He slept through the day (from 9 AM to 9 PM).
- Throughout: Suggests continuity during the entire period.
- Example: She slept throughout the football game.
At Around / At About / By
- At Around / At About: Used for approximating time.
- Example: We will leave at around six.
- By: Indicates the latest possible time for an event.
- Example: We have to be there by seven-fifteen.
To / Of / Towards
- To: Used to express minutes before an hour.
- Example: It’s ten to four.
- Of: Less common in recent English but used similarly to "to".
- Towards: Indicates nearing a period of time.
- Example: It was towards evening when she called.
Between / Within
- Between: Highlights the time between two points.
- Example: They will arrive between five and six.
- Within: Indicates a time frame leading up to a specific duration.
- Example: They will be here within ten minutes.
Beyond / Past / Until
- Beyond: Refers to time after a certain point.
- Example: Our guests stayed beyond midnight.
- Past: Similar to beyond, implies time after a reference point.
- Example: Our guests stayed past midnight.
- Until: Indicates the time up to a specific moment.
- Example: The party will last until ten.
For / Since
- For: Indicates a duration of time.
- Example: They have been here for a week.
- Since: Refers to a specific starting point in the past continuing to the present.
- Example: They have been here since last Thursday.
In / On / At
- In Time: Means arriving not too late.
- Example: Try to get here in time to help me.
- On Time: Refers to punctuality.
- Example: He is punctual; he always arrives on time.
- In: Used for longer time periods like centuries or seasons.
- Example: He lived in the sixteenth century.
- On: Used for specific days and dates.
- Example: We came here on Monday.
Additional Terms
- On the Dot: Refers to being precise with time.
- Example: Be here at ten o'clock on the dot.
- In the Morning/Afternoon/Evening: Specifies time frames within the day.
- Example: They work in the morning.
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Description
Test your understanding of time-related prepositions with this engaging quiz. You'll explore the nuances of terms like 'before,' 'after,' 'during,' and 'through.' Perfect for anyone looking to improve their grasp of English prepositions related to time.