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
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