I’m not a native speaker and I started English classes in school later than everyone else, so I started in 4th grade when everyone else has already 3 years of learning the basics, and since these are really basic words I never learned them in class
So, please, how do I know when to use each one? I can get by a bit as evidenced in this post, but a lot of times I get it wrong
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Prepositions “at,” “on,” and “in” are used to describe specific locations and times, each with distinct rules based on context.
“At” is used for very specific points or places, such as an address (“at 455 Main Street”) or events (“at a concert”). It is also used for specific times, like hours and moments of the day (“at 6 o’clock,” “at night”).
“On” is applied when something is on a surface, like “the painting is on the wall,” or with general street names and places near rivers (“on Grove Street,” “on the river”). For time, “on” is used for specific days and dates (“on May 5th,” “on Mondays”) and certain holidays (“on Christmas Day”).
“In” indicates an enclosed or bounded area, whether physical or abstract, like “in the car” or “in New York City.” It also refers to more general periods of time, such as months, years, and seasons (“in August,” “in the winter”) and parts of the day like “in the morning.”
There’s an important distinction when referring to buildings: “at” describes the general location (“at the school”), while “in” specifies being inside (“in the school”).
Additionally, in British English, “at” is used with weekends and holidays, though in American English, “on” is preferred
Those words are prepositions, and they’re used in two main ways. The first is to relate the physical relationship between two objects. If you place a book on top of a sealed box, the book is *on* the box. If you instead open the box and place the book inside, the book is *in* the box, etc. Once you see some [diagrams](https://www.theteachertreasury.com/free-resources/prepositions-printable-anchor-chart-poster) and get some practice, using prepositions in this way is pretty natural.
The other way to use prepositions though, whoo boy. Prepositions often appear in phrases with no obvious physical relationship to describe. For example, someone who is taking time off work is “on vacation,” but a vacation is not like a box that you can be physically on top of. It would make just as much sense to say that someone is “at vacation” or “in vacation.” What’s worse is that your native language might have a similar phrase that uses a different preposition! The unfortunate fact is that there’s simply no way to learn all the prepositions in these abstract phrases except through practice and repetition. People will surely cut you some slack as you learn.
You can use a box to demonstrate all three.
If you are *in* the box, you are contained by it. You can be in a room, in a restaurant, in a car, in a canoe, etc.
If you are *on* the box, you are atop it or somehow applied to it (which doesn’t make sense for a person and a box, but may make sense for something like a sticket). You can be on a roof, on a bike, on a log, on a path, on a wall, etc.
If you are *at* the box, you are proximal to it. You can be at a landmark, at a restaurant, at a park.
Of course, there are exceptions or other phrases which fall outside of these categories, but this is a fairly solid way to remember most use cases. For example, you could be “on drugs” or “on the phone”. You might also say “meet me at the restaurant” when you really mean “meet me in the restaurant”. Both are fine, but “at” is more commonly used in this case.
Another way to think about this is a bucket; if you were told to stand *on* the bucket, you’d probably flip the bucket over and stand atop the overturned bottom. If you were told to stand *in* the bucket, you’d probably keep the bucket right side up and put your feet inside it. If you were told to stand *at* the bucket, you’d probably walk over to the bucket and stand at arms length or so from the bucket.
A tricky part of “on” vs “in” involves vehicles.
If you can easily stand up, use “on”. If you have to sit down, use “in”.
You get “on” a large plane. But you get “in” a small plane.
To make it more confusing, even native speakers can use them differently depending on where they grew up. For example, in parts of the US, you when you are “queuing” (to use British English), you are waiting “on line”. That sounds completely wrong and foreign to me, because, in my part of the US, we wait “in line”. But technically both are correct, but one will sound very wrong to someone if they grew up with the other.
As someone who speaks a foreign language, it’s definitely hard. Practice and exposure is really the only way to get it right, and even then you’ll probably still mess it up (I still do in German, even after decades of speaking it). As long as people can understand what you meant, that’s all that really matters.
Prepositions are completely brutal. There are some good tips here. Pity my poor naive self when I tried to impress upon ESOL learners the distinctions between “above” and “over”.
Native speakers seem to “just know,” but it’s because they’ve been hearing the language for their entire lives, not because they’ve memorized the rules. For you to acquire similar knowledge, listen to a lot (movies?) and read a lot. Eventually certain uses will sound “right.” You might also feel comfortable encouraging those you speak with to correct you as a way of helping you learn.
But you’re right. It makes no sense. You can go from being “in New York City” to being “on Long Island” without crossing water.
I was in a car and I parked next to a guy on a motorcycle at the parking lot. We then moved and parked in the parking garage. We went in the elevator and it took us up where we could see the view while on the roof at the lounge on top of the building.
I hope my example helps!
I can’t tell you what the rules are, but I can give you examples.
“I was driving on the road.” You would never drive in the road, it’s not something you can get inside. You wouldn’t drive at the road either (that means you would be driving toward the road).
“I was sitting in class” You wouldn’t sit on class, you’re inside the room, not on top of it. You wouldn’t sit at class either, but you might say “I’m at the school”.
“I’m at work” You certainly aren’t on work because it’s not something you stand on top of. You might say “I’m in work” but that sounds odd.
I would say on is used to refer to things you’re literally on top of (on the floor, on the road, on time).
In would be used for places or situations you’re inside of (in school, in trouble, in the car but in work sounds odd).
At would be for places or situations you’re near or reaching, without specifying you’re inside them (at work, at my wits end, at the grocery store).
I suppose it’s mostly something you have to memorize at least somewhat. Like articles in German (die/das/der). There aren’t any rules, you just sort of have to remember which is used in what situation.
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