🎯

Learning Objectives

5 minutes reading
✓
Master prepositions of time: at, on, in for scheduling and deadlines
✓
Use prepositions of place: at, in, on for office and business locations
✓
Apply prepositions of method: by, via, through for communication
✓
Use common business prepositional phrases correctly
💡
Key Learning Tip

Prepositions are small words with big impact! Wrong prepositions can confuse your message. "I'll meet you AT the office ON Monday IN the morning" - each preposition has a specific job.

📚

Business Prepositions

10 minutes reading

Prepositions connect words and show relationships. In business, using the right preposition makes your communication clear and professional.

Time: AT

Specific Times & Moments

at + clock time → "The meeting is at 2pm."
at + mealtimes → "Let's discuss this at lunch."
at + night → "I often work at night."
at + the weekend → "I'll finish at the weekend."
at + the moment → "I'm busy at the moment."
Time: ON

Days & Dates

on + days → "The report is due on Friday."
on + dates → "We launch on March 15th."
on + specific day parts → "on Monday morning"
on + special days → "on my birthday, on Christmas Day"
on time = punctual → "Please arrive on time."
Time: IN

Longer Periods & Future

in + months → "We'll finish in January."
in + years → "The company started in 2010."
in + seasons → "Sales increase in summer."
in + parts of day → "in the morning/afternoon/evening"
in + time from now → "I'll call you in 10 minutes."
Place

Locations in Business

at + specific place → "I'm at the office / at reception."
at + events → "I met her at the conference."
in + enclosed spaces → "He's in the meeting room."
in + cities/countries → "Our office is in Paris."
on + surfaces/floors → "The files are on your desk." / "on the 3rd floor"
Method & Communication

How We Communicate & Work

by + method → "Send it by email / by post / by fax."
by + transport → "I travel by train / by car / by plane."
on + phone/device → "I spoke to him on the phone." / "on my laptop"
via + route/platform → "Contact me via LinkedIn." / "via our website"
through + intermediary → "We heard through our partners."
🔑
Quick Memory Rule

AT = specific point (at 3pm, at the office)
ON = surface/day (on Monday, on the desk)
IN = inside/period (in the room, in January)

💼

Professional Contexts

5 minutes reading

Scheduling & Meetings

📅 "The meeting is on Tuesday at 10am."
⏰ "I'll send the report in the morning."
📍 "Let's meet at the coffee shop on the corner."
🗓️ "The deadline is on March 31st."

Communication & Location

📧 "Please confirm by email."
📞 "We discussed it on the phone."
🏢 "The HR department is on the 4th floor."
🌐 "You can apply via our website."
✅

Examples - Correct & Incorrect Usage

5 minutes reading
✓

Correct Professional Usage

✓
"The conference is on Friday in the afternoon."

ON for day, IN for part of day

✓
"I'll be at the office at 9am."

AT for specific place, AT for specific time

✓
"Please send the documents by email."

BY for method of communication

✓
"The CEO is in a meeting in the boardroom."

IN for enclosed spaces/rooms

✓
"We'll launch the product in Q2."

IN for longer time periods

✗

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗
"The meeting is in Monday."

Wrong! Use ON for days. Say: "The meeting is on Monday."

✗
"I'll call you at the morning."

Wrong! Use IN for parts of day. Say: "I'll call you in the morning."

✗
"Contact me in phone."

Wrong! Use ON or BY. Say: "Contact me by phone" or "on the phone."

🎧

Listening Exercise

10 minutes

Scenario: Maria and Tom discuss arrangements for a client visit from Germany.

🎙️Audio: Client Visit Planning
Ready
0:00 / 0:00
🔊
Speed:

Audio Transcript: Client Visit Planning

Maria: Hi Tom, do you have a minute to talk about the client visit?

Tom: Hi Maria, sure. What's the plan?

Maria: Okay, so the clients from Germany are arriving on Monday morning. Their flight lands at 11 AM, so I will meet them at the airport. They are staying at the Grand Hotel, which is in the city center.

Tom: Great. And what about the meetings?

Maria: The main presentation is scheduled on Tuesday at 10 o'clock. It will be held in Conference Room 3, on the second floor. I need you to prepare the welcome packs. Can you leave them on the table in the room before the meeting starts?

Tom: No problem. What about lunch?

Maria: Good question. I booked a table for a team lunch. It's at a nice Italian place near the office. The reservation is at 1 PM on Tuesday, just after the presentation.

Tom: Perfect. And for the rest of the week?

Maria: We have the final contract meeting on Wednesday afternoon, probably at 3 PM. After that, they are free. They fly back home in the evening on Wednesday. I think that covers everything.

Tom: Sounds like a good plan. I'll get those welcome packs ready.

Question 1: When is the main presentation?

💡 Hint: We use 'on' for days of the week.

Question 2: Where is the team lunch reservation?

💡 Hint: Listen for where Maria booked a table.

Question 3: Complete the sentence: "It will be held ___ Conference Room 3..."

💡 Hint: A conference room is an enclosed space.
🧠

Interactive Quiz

10 minutes

Choose the correct preposition:

1

"The deadline is _____ Friday."

Aat
Bon
Cin
2

"She's _____ a meeting right now."

Aat
Bin
Con
3

"Please send the invoice _____ email."

Aby
Bin
Cat
✏️

Practice Exercises

10 minutes

Exercise A - Time Prepositions

Complete with at, on, or in:

1.

The presentation starts _____ 3pm.

💡 Hint: Use AT for specific clock times.
2.

We have a team meeting _____ Wednesday.

💡 Hint: Use ON for days of the week.
3.

The project will be completed _____ June.

💡 Hint: Use IN for months and years.
4.

I prefer to work _____ the morning.

💡 Hint: Use IN for parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening).
5.

The office closes _____ 6pm _____ Fridays.

💡 Hint: AT for time, ON for day.

Exercise B - Place & Method Prepositions

Complete with the correct preposition:

1.

The manager is _____ his office.

2.

I'll travel to London _____ train.

3.

The documents are _____ your desk.

4.

You can reach me _____ my mobile.

5.

Our headquarters is _____ New York.

📋

Summary

2 minutes

🎓 Key Points to Remember

  • Time - AT: specific times (at 3pm), mealtimes (at lunch), night, the moment, the weekend
  • Time - ON: days (on Monday), dates (on March 15th), specific day parts (on Friday morning)
  • Time - IN: months (in June), years (in 2024), seasons, parts of day (in the afternoon), future (in 10 minutes)
  • Place - AT: specific points (at the office, at reception, at the conference)
  • Place - IN: enclosed spaces (in the room, in Paris, in the meeting)
  • Place - ON: surfaces (on the desk), floors (on the 3rd floor)
  • Method - BY: communication/transport (by email, by train)
✨
Great Progress!

You've mastered business prepositions! Continue to Lesson 6.2 to learn how to link ideas effectively in business communication.

Leçon suivante →