Preposition In, On, and At

Time Preposition


In general, we use:

• at for a PRECISE TIME
• in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
• on for DAYS and DATES

at	in	on
PRECISE TIME	MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS	DAYS and DATES
at 3 o'clock	in May	on Sunday
at 10.30am	in summer	on Tuesdays
at noon	in the summer	on 6 March
at dinnertime	in 1990	on 25 Dec. 2010
at bedtime	in the 1990s	on Christmas Day
at sunrise	in the next century	on Independence Day
at sunset	in the Ice Age	on my birthday
at the moment	in the past/future	on New Year's Eve

Look at these examples:

• I have a meeting at 9am.
• The shop closes at midnight.
• Jane went home at lunchtime.
• In England, it often snows in December.
• Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?
• There should be a lot of progress in the next century.
• Do you work on Mondays?
• Her birthday is on 20 November.
• Where will you be on New Year's Day?

Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:

Expression	Example
at night	The stars shine at night.
at the weekend	I don't usually work at the weekend.
at Christmas/Easter	I stay with my family at Christmas.
at the same time	We finished the test at the same time.
at present	He's not home at present. Try later.

Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:

in	on
in the morning	on Tuesday morning
in the mornings	on Saturday mornings
in the afternoon(s)	on Sunday afternoons
in the evening(s)	on Monday evening

When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on.

• I went to London last June. (not in last June)
• He's coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
• I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
• We'll call you this evening. (not in this evening)

Place Preposition

In general, we use :

• at for a POINT
• in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
• on for a SURFACE

at	in	on
POINT	ENCLOSED SPACE	SURFACE
at the corner	in the garden	on the wall
at the bus stop	in London	on the ceiling
at the door	in France	on the door
at the top of the page	in a box	on the cover
at the end of the road	in my pocket	on the floor
at the entrance	in my wallet	on the carpet
at the crossroads	in a building	on the menu
at the front desk	in a car	on a page

Look at these examples:

• Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
• The shop is at the end of the street.
• My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
• When will you arrive at the office?
• Do you work in an office?
• I have a meeting in New York.
• Do you live in Japan?
• Jupiter is in the Solar System.
• The author's name is on the cover of the book.
• There are no prices on this menu.
• You are standing on my foot.
• There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.
• I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:

at	in	on
at home	in a car	on a bus
at work	in a taxi	on a train
at school	in a helicopter	on a plane
at university	in a boat	on a ship
at college	in a lift (elevator)	on a bicycle, on a motorbike
at the top	in the newspaper	on a horse, on an elephant
at the bottom	in the sky	on the radio, on television
at the side	in a row	on the left, on the right
at reception	in Oxford Street	on the way

Vocabulary Around the House

 

Rooms in a House
• balcony
• bathroom
• bedroom
• dining room
• garage
• hall
• kitchen
• laundry
• living room

Things in a Bedroom
• alarm
• bed
• bedside table
• clock
• drawers
• dressing table
• lamp
• wardrobe, closet

Things in a Bathroom
• basin, sink
• bath
• mirror
• shower
• taps
• toilet
• towel rack

Things in a Kitchen
• bench
• cupboard
• dishwasher
• microwave
• oven, cooker
• pantry
• refrigerator, fridge
• sink
• stove, cook-top
• taps

Things in a Living Room
• arm chair
• bookcase
• chairs
• coffee table
• fan
• foot rest
• heater
• lounge, sofa, couch
• magazine rack
• recliner
• sound system
• table
• telephone, phone
• television stand
• television, TV

Things in a Dining Room
• chairs
• dining table

Things in a Study
• chair
• computer
• desk
• filing cabinet
• shelf

Things in a Laundry
• clothes maiden, drying rack
• dryer
• iron
• ironing board
• laundry basket
• pegs
• sink
• washing machine
• washing powder

Furniture
• armchair
• bed
• bookcase
• cabinet
• chair
• chest
• coffee table
• cupboard
• desk
• dining table
• drawers
• dressing table
• foot stool, foot rest
• lamp
• lounge, sofa, couch
• office chair
• sideboard, buffet
• stool
• TV stand
• wardrobe

Bills and Utilities
• council charges
• electricity
• gas
• insurance
• rent
• telephone
• water

Dialogue :

It's Saturday and Joan and Steve are decorating.
Joan    : Steve, you missed a bit.
Steve  : Where?
Joan    : Here, on the wall just by the window, you can see a patch of white.
Steve   : Oh yes, I see it. It's difficult in this light.
Joan    : I know, well at least we have finished this room, only five more to go.
Steve   : Are you sure you want to put wallpaper up in the lounge?
Joan     : Yes, but don't worry, I'm really good at wallpapering. I just wish that John would decide on what he
              wants his room doing in.
Steve    : I know, it's difficult when you're a boy. At least he's grown out of Star Wars, I keep thinking he'll ask
              for red and black or something equally gruesome.
Joan      : Yes, but it is his room. I'm glad we decided not to move though. Maybe we should think about
               building an extension to the kitchen instead.
Steve    : One thing at a time please! Lets get this decorating over and done with first.
Joan      : Ha! Oh by the way you missed a bit by the door too!
Steve     : Hm, thanks. Here's a brush.

Asking if Someone Remember or Not

1. Formal expressions

• I wonder if you remember ….
• You remember ...., don’t you?
• You haven’t forgotten ...., have you?
• Don’t you remember ....?
• Do you happen to remember it now?

2. Ways to respond

• Let me think, yes, I remember.
• I remember especially the scenery.
• I’ll never forget that.
• I’ll always remember.
• I can remember it clearly

3.Informal expressions

• Remember the old house we used to live in?
• Remember that?
• I’m sorry, I don’t remember.

4. Ways to respond

• Hold on. Yes, got it!
• I know ….
• It’s coming back to me now.

5. Response if you forget:

• Sorry, I’ve completely forgotten.
• I’m afraid I forget.
• I really can’t remember.
• I’m afraid I have no memory of him.
• Err, let me think. No, it’s gone.
• Sorry, it slipped off my mind.

Offering Expression

• Offering to older people:
• Would you like a cup of coffee, Mr. Green?
• Should I get you a bottle of water?
• Could I offer you a glass of lemonade, Mrs. Lina?
• Would you care for some salad?

• Offering to friends: 
• Want some?
• Have some.
• Chocolate?
• Glass of lemonade?
• Grab some for yourself.
• Would you like to have a pancake?
• Why don’t you have some lemonade?
• What can I get for you?
• What will you have?

• Accepting an offer: 
• Thank you
• Yes, please
• I’d like it very much
• Thank you, I would
• That would be very nice

• Declining an offer: 
• No, thanks.
• No, I really won’t. Thank you.
• Not for me, thanks. 
• No, thanks. I’m not hungry.

Simple Future Tense (Will and Be Going To)

      Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.

1. Future tense “will”

• To assert incident/event that future and decide that incident at talking.
• Example 
• A: Can you help me to do this homework?
• B: Of course, I will do it for you.

• To offer to do something. 
• Example
• A: I don’t have a pen to write. 
• B: Don’t worry. I will lend you.

• To assert an agreement to do something. 
• Example
• A: You must come to my party. 
• B: I promise I will come on party.

• To predict event that will be happened. 
• Example
• A: Will I pass the test next month? 
• B: Don’t worry, you will pass.

• To assert an incident/event that will be sure happened. 
• Example 
• A: I’m seventeen years old now. How old will I be next year? 
• B: You will be eighteen years old next years.

2. Future tense “shall”

• To assert a deal or gift suggestion 
• Example: Today, we are free. Where shall we go?
• Note: shall for subject “I, we”

3. Future tense “be going to”

• To assert an incident that will be happened and gone ever break a promise to do it. 
• Example
• A: Did you send my letter for her? 
• B: Oh, I’m sorry I forgot. I’m going to send it tonight.

• To assert an incident/event that cause there are incident/event that mention that what will be next happened. 
• Example
• A: The sky is very dark. What do you think?
• B: I think it’s going to rain.

4. Time Signal

• Tomorrow...
• Morning
• Afternoon
• Evening
• Night

• Next...
• Time
• Week
• Month
• Year
• January

• Tonight 
• The day after tomorrow
• Soon
• Later
• Two, three more days
• Two, three days later
• By and by

5. Pattern

• Positive (+)
• Subject + shall/will + VI 
• Example:
• I shall clean the room.
• We will go to school. 
• She will give a present.
• Note: “shall” just can use for subject “I and We”

• Subject + to be + going to + VI 
• Example:
• I am going to play tennis.
• They are going to swim very fast.
• He is going to write a story.

• Negative (-)
• Subject + shall/will + not + VI 
• Example:
• I shan’t buy a shirt. 
• He won’t clean the room.

• Subject + to be + not + going to + VI 
• Example:
• I am not to give a present.

• Interrogative (?) 
• Shall/will + subject + VI ?
• Example:
• Will we play tennis?

• To be + subject + going to + VI ? 
• Example:
• Is she going to write a story?

Asking for Information Using "WH" Questions

The use of WH-Questions

• What 
• When
• Where
• Why
• Who
• Whose
• Whom
• How

• Combined with to be 
• What is ……. your name? 
• When was ……. he born? 
• Where are ………. the tickets? 
• Why were …………. they here?  
• Who are ……….. those people? 
• Whose................. is this? 
• With/To/For whom.......... you go?
• How is ……. Helen?

• Combined with auxiliary verbs or Modals 
• What do …………
• When did …………
• Where shall ……..
• Why does ……..
• Who might …..
• How could …….
• etc

• Asking for information: 
• I’d like to know about this novel 
• I’m interested in the characters
• Could you tell me more about it? 
• Do you know the plot? 
• Could you find out the solution? 
• Could I ask about the conflict? 
• Do you happen to know the writer?

• Asking for information: 
• I’d like to know ……………… 
• I’m interested in ………………..
• Could you tell me ………........?
• Do you know ………………?
• Could you find out …………………?
• Could I ask ……………………..?
• Do you happen to know ………….?

• Guessing: 
• I’d say … I know where to find the book 
• It could be … somewhere in the library 
• Perhaps it’s … on the top of the shelf 
• I think it’s … not there anymore 
• It looks like … someone has taken the book 
• It’s difficult to say, but I’d guess … 
• It’s being borrowed by a student.

Modals in the Past Form

WHAT ARE MODALS?

• Modals are helping words that are used to express:
• possibility
• ability
• degree of certainty
• level of authority

• Kinds of modals such as:
• Can
• could
• may
• might
• must
• ought to
• shall
• should
• will
• would.

• Modals in the past form are used in the past time.They are could, would, should, and might.
• Formula of modals is:
• Modals + verb 1 + O/C.
• Can be used in every tenses
• Could is the past tense of can

• The modal auxiliary could is used:
• To express an ability in the past:
• I could always beat you at tennis when we were kids.

• To express past or future permission:
• Could I bury my cat in your back yard?

• To express present possibility:
• We could always spend the afternoon just sitting around talking

• To express possibility or ability in contingent circumstances.
• If he studied harder, he could pass this course.

• When could is used in the past, it means was able to. Example:
• I was able to find a parking space.

• Would is the past tense of will
• The modal auxiliary would is used:
• to express a repeated action in the past
• to express more polite (request) 
• Would you (please) feed the dog?

• When would is used in the past, it means “used to”, for example:
• When I was younger, I would run two hours every day.
• This means that I used to run two hours every day and now I don`t.

• When would is used in the present, it show more polite.
• For unreal condition
• Mary would go to the Caribbean, but she doesn`t have enough money.(present)
• Mary would have gone to the Carribbean, but she didn`t have money.(past tense)

• Would, can is used in the past and present.

• Might is the past tense of may.
• Is used to express of granting or seeking permission.
• Might, I leave class early?

• To express future possibility.
• She might be my advisor next semester.

• To express past possibility.
• Ann came late this morning, she might have missed the bus.

• Might is considerably more tentative than may

• Should is the past tense of shall.
• Most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation.
• Example:
• When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Postdam. (recommendation)
• You should focus more on your family and less on work. (advice)
• I really should be in the office by 7:00 am. (obligation)
• By now, they should already be in Dubai. (expectation)

• Example in dialogue:

Chika: Hi Eka! Are you busy?
Eka: No, I`m not busy. What`s happen?
Chika: Oh, good. I want you help me. Would you help me, please?
Eka: Yes, why not? What can I do for
you?
Chika: Hm, help me please, to clean my
garden now.
Eka: No. I won`t. Sorry.

Rizky: Oh. I miss grandchild. I want
to meet him.
Fanny: Don`t be sad grandma, Andre
might visit us on Saturday.
Rizky: Really.? Oh, I`m so happy.
Fanny: Of course.

• MODAL CHART

can't have

certainty e.g. I can't have lost my keys! (I'm sure I didn't)

could	permission e.g. When I was a teenager, I could go out as late as I wanted.
	general ability e.g. Tom could walk by the age of 8 months.

could have	possibility, but did not happen e.g. I could have passed my driving test if I'd really tried.
	uncertainty e.g. I guess it could have been Sandra on the phone.

couldn't	permission e.g. When I was a teenager, I couldn't stay out as late as I wanted.
	general ability e.g. I couldn't walk until I was 2.
	ability in a particular situation e.g. I tried hard but I couldn't persuade him to go to the party with us.

couldn't have	possibility/ability e.g. I couldn't possibly have passed my driving test, even if I'd tried harder.
	uncertainty e.g. It couldn't have been Sandra on the phone, could it?
	with comparative adjectives e.g. I couldn't have asked for better weather on my wedding day.
	unwillingness e.g. I couldn't have left the dog in the car for long (so I didn't).

didn’t need to

unnecessary action not done e.g. As I was alone this weekend, I didn't need to do any cooking (so I didn't).

had to

obligation (past form of must) e.g. I couldn't go out last night because I had to do my homework.

may have

uncertainty e.g. I guess I may have been a bit hard on her when she came home an hour late.

may not have

uncertainty e.g. He may not have found out yet that he has passed the test.

might have	possibility (didn't happen) e.g. You might have been killed!
	uncertainty e.g. I guess I might have been a bit hard on her when she came home an hour late.
	annoyance at someone's failure to do something e.g. You might have told me that you had invited all your colleagues round for dinner!
	might have known + would (idiom to ironically express that somebody's action was typical) e.g. I might have known that he would finish with me as soon as he found out I wasn't wealthy!

might not have

uncertainty e.g. He may not have found out yet that he has passed the test.

must have	certainty e.g. He must have known how much it was going to cost. (I'm sure he knew.)
	with surely in exclamations e.g. Surely he must have known how much it was going to cost!

needn't have

unnecessary action that was actually done e.g. Oh, you needn't have done the washing up!

ought not to have

criticism (more common is shouldn't have) e.g. You ought not to have been so frank with him.

ought to have

expectation (should have is more common) Why is she late? She ought to have arrived by now!

should have	expectation Why is she late? She should have arrived by now!
	should have + verbs of thinking e.g. I should have thought you knew.
	with be and adjectives, describing chance e.g. It was weird that you should have been staying in the same hostel last month.
	criticism (you didn't do something, but it would have been the right thing to do) e.g. The party was such fun last night! You should have come!

shouldn't have	criticism e.g. You shouldn't have been so frank with him.
	polite expression of thanks on receiving a gift or favour "Here's a bottle of wine for you" "Oh, you really shouldn't have!"

would have	events in the past that did not happen e.g. I wouldn't have gone out with him, but he didn't ask me.
	assumptions e.g. Oh, that would have been Sarah on the phone just now.

would not

unwillingness e.g. I asked Tom to close the window, but he wouldn't do it.

Finite and Non-Finite Verb

• Finite Verbs (sometimes called main verbs) are verb from suitable for use in predicates in that they carry inflections or other formal characteristics limiting their number (singular/plural), persons, and tense (past / present etc). Finite verbs can function on their own as the core of an independent sentence. 
• In English, as in most related languages, only verbs in certain moods are finite. These include:
• the indicative mood (expressing a state of affairs); e.g., “The bulldozer demolished the restaurant,” “The leaves were yellow and stiff.”
• the imperative mood (giving a command).
• the subjunctive mood (expressing something that might or might not be the state of affairs, depending on some other part of the sentence); nearly extinct in English.

Example

• I walked, they walk, and she walk = are finite verbs.

* (to) walk is an infinitive.

• I lived in Germany.

* ‘I’ is the subject. ‘lived’ describes what the subject did. ‘lived’ is a finite.

The finite verbs are highlighted in the following sentences:
The bear caught a salmon in the stream.
Who ate the pie?
Stop!

• A nonfinite verb form – such as a participle, infinitive, or gerund – is not limited by by time (see tense), person, and number. 
• Verb forms that are not finite include:
• the infinitive
• Participles (e.g., “The broken window…”, “The wheezing gentleman…”)
• gerunds and gerundives

• In linguistics, a non-finite verb (or a verbal) is a verb form that is not limited by a subject; and more generally, it is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person. As a result, a non-finite verb cannot generally serve as the main verb in an independent clause; rather, it heads a non-finite clause.
• By some accounts, a non-finite verb acts simultaneously as a verb and as another part of speech; it can take adverbs and certain kinds of verb arguments, producing a verbal phrase (i.e., non-finite clause), and this phrase then plays a different role — usually noun, adjective, or adverb — in a greater clause. This is the reason for the term verbal; non-finite verbs have traditionally been classified as verbal nouns, verbal adjectives, or verbal adverbs.
• English has three kinds of verbal: participles, which function as adjectives; gerunds, which function as nouns; and infinitives, which have noun-like, adjective-like, and adverb-like functions. Each of these is also used in various common constructs; for example, the past participle is used in forming the perfect aspect (to have done).

Other kinds of verbals, such as supine and gerundives exist in other languages.
Example:
The finite verbs are the underlined words.

The Crow and the Fox

One day a crow finds a tasty piece of cheese. She picks it up, flaps her wings, and flies to a high branch of a tree to eat it.

Noun Phrase

What is Noun?

• Noun is a word that names a person, animal, place, thing, idea, or concept, or anything considered as noun

Note

• There are more nouns in the English Language than any other kind of words.

See the Noun examples

• Persons: girl, boy, instructor, student, Mr. Smith, Peter, president 
• Animals: dog, cat, shark, hamster, fish, bear, flea 
• Places: gym, store, school, Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, village, Europe
• Things: computer, pen, notebook, mailbox, bush, tree, cornflakes 
• Ideas: liberty, panic, attention, knowledge, compassion, worship

The Functions of Nouns in Sentences

• Subject of the sentence 
• Predicate Noun (also Predicate Nominative or Subjective Complement)
• Appositive (noun in apposition) 
• Direct object of a verb 
• Indirect object of a verb 
• Object of the preposition 
• Object Complement (Objective Complement)

Gerunds can also be classified as noun
For example:

• I like swimming 
• The word ‘swimming’ is a gerund

Phrase

• A phrase is a group of related words that lacks both a subject and a predicate. Because it lacks a subject and a predicate it cannot act as a sentence.

Noun Phrase

• A noun phrase consists of a pronoun or noun with any associated modifiers, including adjectives, adjective phrases, and other nouns in the possessive case. 
• Like a noun, a noun phrase can act as a subject, as the object of a verb or verbal, as a subject or object complement, or as the object of a preposition, as in the following examples: 
• subject
• Small children often insist that they can do it by themselves.

• More examples: 
• object of a verb 
• They have found Eugene's goal.

• object of a preposition
• The arctic explorers were caught unawares by the spring break up.

• subject complement 
• Frankenstein is the name of the scientist not the monster. 

• object complement 
• I consider Loki my favourite cat.

Direct and Indirect Speech

TENSE CHANGE
• When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.
• Note : the reporting verbs that are usually used to report imperative sentence are :Tell, other command, ask, warn, remind

1. Present simple-Past tense
direct : Vita said “ I eat fried rice”
indirect : Vita said that she ate fried rice.

2. Past simple-Past perfect
direct : Mother said “ I went to market yesterday”
indirect : Mother said (that) she had gone to market the day before.

3. Future simple-Past future
direct : Dave said “ I will buy an i-pod next week’
indirect : Dave said (that) he would buy an i-pod the week after

4.Present continuous-Past continuous
direct : Gama said “ I’m playing football”
indirect : Gama said he was playing football

5. Past continuous-Past perfect continuous
direct : She said “ I was teaching earlier”
indirect : She said she had been teaching earlier

when we want to report what someone said, we don’t usually repeat their exact words, we use our words, we can use reporting words such as tell say as follow by “that clause”

example :
my mother said that she got up at 4 o’clock

In time expression and pronouns

DIRECT SPEECH	INDIRECT SPEECH
Now Today/tonight Yesterday Tomorrow Last week Next week Ago	Then that day / that night The day before / the previous day The next / following day The previous week The following week / the week after Before

In time expression and pronouns

DIRECT SPEECH	INDIRECT SPEECH
This/these Here pronouns	That/those There They changes according to the context

Type	Form	example
Yes-no question	Ask + if / whether + S + verb wonder etc	do you speak English “ He wondered if I spoke English
Wh-question	Ask + question word + S + verb wonder etc	“what are you watching” She asked what I’m watching

Sometimes we need the report someone’s question , the report question are introduce with the verb ask inquire wonder , want to know , etc

Modal verb forms also sometimes change:

DIRECT SPEECH	INDIRECT SPEECH
will She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow.“ can She said, "I can teach English online." must She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online.“	would She said she would teach English online tomorrow. could She said she could teach English online.  had to She said she had to have a computer to teach English online.

Modal verb forms also sometimes change:

DIRECT SPEECH	INDIRECT SPEECH
shall She said, "What shall we learn today?" may She said, "May I open a new browser?"	should She asked what we should learn today. might She asked if she might open a new browser.

Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought too.

DIRECT SPEECH	INDIRECT SPEECH
"I might go to the cinema", he said.	He said he might go to the cinema.