Search Content

Business English Tip of the Week

business-english-tipsEvery week we publish a business English tip concerning different aspects of business English. Topic areas include writing, speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, exams as well as general English. Many tips include audio clips. To receive 'Business English Tip of the Week' by email, just subscribe to the newsletter from the link above. 

Using Prepositions with Times & Dates

03 Mar 2024

Prepositions are used to relate things or people to various ways of time, place, direction and distance. It is difficult to use prepositions correctly as most of them have a variety of uses and meanings.

Reading through the examples below will help you to become more familiar with the uses and meanings of prepositions of time and dates.

Use at + a particular time

at ten o'clock
at half-past eleven
at 2.30 p.m.
at the time of his resignation at that moment

(But not in the following: 'What time is it?' 'It's eight fifteen.')

Periods of the day

No preposition with this ... or tonight

I'm busy this morning / this afternoon / this evening / tonight.

No preposition with yesterday ... or last/next ...

She spoke to me yesterday afternoon.
I had a call from him last week.
The meeting has been rescheduled for next Tuesday.

But notice: at night

The power supply is switched off at night.

Use on + a particular day/date

I sent the information on Monday morning.
Our new office opens on the 15th.
Deborah works late on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We close the office early on Christmas Eve.

On time, in time, by the time; at the end of, by the end of, in the end

These phrases seem similar but have different meanings. Look at the examples below:

My plane to Beijing arrived on time. (It came at the scheduled time.)
I was in time for my meeting. (I arrived before the meeting started.)
The report was finished by the time the clients arrived in Hong Kong. (Finished before something else happened.)
Gerald is leaving at the end of May. (Around 30 or 31 May.)
Gerald is leaving by the end of May. (Any date before 31 May.)

In the end means 'finally/as a final result'

There were a lot of problems with the contract, so in the end we didn't sign it.
 
 

Improving Intonation in English

Increasing Specific Vocabulary

Telephone Courtesy

Using Question Tags

Leaving Telephone Messages

Overused Words

Business Presentations – Signposting

Making introductions in Business Settings

General Tips to Improve your English

Improving your English through Reading

Telephone Talk General Advice

What can you do to improve your spoken English

Getting Native Speakers to speak more slowly on the telephone

Tips for Editing your business documents

The 10 Classic Mistakes of Business English Writing

Errors When Writing Job Application Letters

Tips for Successful Communication

Confusing pairs of words

Business Greetings

Menu