PREPOSITIONS OF TIME - in, on, at, from, to, until, till, during, throughout, since, from, by ...

Summary

In this lesson, Arnel breaks down the various prepositions of time and their proper usage in English. From understanding the difference between ‘from’ and ‘to’, to using ‘until’ and ‘by’ correctly, the lesson provides clear explanations with plenty of examples. Arnel also dives into the nuances of ‘during’, ‘throughout’, and comparisons between ‘for’, ‘since’, and ‘from’. He further explores the common mistakes learners make, offering practical tips and exercises to help improve understanding. The session wraps up with a test to reinforce the concepts and encourages viewers to practice with example sentences.

Takeaways

• 😀 Prepositions of time, such as 'from', 'to', 'until', and 'during', have specific functions and should be used correctly to convey the right meaning.
• 😀 'From' and 'to' are commonly used together to express a time range (e.g., 'from 9 to 3'). These are the most frequently used prepositions for time periods.
• 😀 'Until' and 'till' mean the same thing, with 'till' being less formal. Both refer to an action stopping at a specific point in time (e.g., 'until 5', 'till Saturday').
• 😀 'During' must be followed by a noun or noun phrase and cannot directly follow a subject and verb (e.g., 'during my lunch' is correct, but 'during I was eating' is incorrect).
• 😀 'Throughout' can often be used interchangeably with 'during', but is typically used for longer periods (e.g., 'throughout the day', 'throughout history').
• 😀 'Before' and 'after' refer to actions that occur earlier or later than a given point in time (e.g., 'before breakfast', 'after the meeting').
• 😀 We use 'for' to indicate the duration of an action (e.g., 'I lived in the city for five years') and 'since' to indicate the starting point of an action (e.g., 'I have lived here since 2020').
• 😀 'From' is used to indicate the start of an action or time period, without connecting it to another event, while 'since' emphasizes the start of an action with a connection to the present or another past event.
• 😀 'Until' refers to when an action stops, while 'by' sets a deadline, meaning something must be completed before or at a specific time (e.g., 'by Friday' vs. 'until Friday').
• 😀 'In', 'on', and 'at' are used to describe different time periods, with 'in' being for longer periods (e.g., 'in January', 'in the morning'), 'on' for days and specific dates (e.g., 'on Monday', 'on January 25th'), and 'at' for precise times (e.g., 'at 5:00 p.m.', 'at night').

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video lesson?

The main focus of the video lesson is to teach the correct usage of various prepositions of time, including 'from', 'to', 'until', 'till', 'during', 'throughout', 'before', 'after', 'for', 'since', 'by', and others.

What is the difference between 'until' and 'till'?

'Until' and 'till' mean the same thing, but 'till' is considered less formal than 'until'. 'Until' is commonly used with 'to' in time expressions, but 'till' can be used in place of 'until' without changing the meaning.

When do we use 'during' and what are some common mistakes with it?

'During' is used to refer to a specific period of time and must be followed by a noun or noun phrase. A common mistake is saying 'During I was driving,' which is incorrect because 'I was driving' is not a noun. Instead, it should be 'While I was driving.'

How is 'during' different from 'throughout'?

'During' refers to a specific time within a larger period and can sometimes refer to a point in time, while 'throughout' refers to the entire period of time. For example, 'Bats sleep during the day' vs. 'Bats sleep throughout the day.'

What is the distinction between 'for' and 'since'?

'For' is used to indicate the duration of an action (e.g., 'I lived in this house for five years'), while 'since' is used to indicate the starting point of an action (e.g., 'I have lived in this house since 2020').

What is the difference between 'by' and 'until'?

'Until' refers to the point at which an action ends, while 'by' means that something must be completed at or before a certain time. For example, 'We must finish the report until Friday' implies stopping on Friday, while 'We must finish the report by Friday' means it must be completed before or on Friday.

How do we use 'in', 'on', and 'at' with time expressions?

'In' is used for long periods of time like months, years, centuries, and seasons (e.g., 'In January,' 'In the 1990s'). 'On' is used for specific days and dates (e.g., 'On Monday,' 'On Christmas Day'). 'At' is used for precise times (e.g., 'At 5:00 p.m.' or 'At night').

What is the key difference between 'at night' and 'in the night'?

'At night' refers to the general time period when it is dark, while 'in the night' refers to something happening during the night. For example, 'At night, people sleep' vs. 'I heard something moving in the night.'

When do we use 'from' vs 'since'?

'From' is used to indicate the starting point of an action, with no reference to its duration, and can be used in different tenses (e.g., 'We serve breakfast from 6:00'). 'Since' indicates the starting point of an action and is connected to the present or a past action (e.g., 'She has worked here since 2010').

What is the function of the preposition 'within'?

'Within' gives a time limit for completing an action. It indicates that something must be done within a specific period of time, and there is no allowance for exceeding that period (e.g., 'You have to finish this within 2 hours').