Mastering the Tricky Prepositions in English: Part 5 – At (Advanced)

Prepositions in English Part 5

Tricky situations with “at”

Just like “in” and “on,” there are some situations with at where it is hard to decide if it should be used, or whether another preposition might be better.

 

Sometimes “at,” “in” or “on” can be used to mean almost exactly the same thing. What word you choose to use can depend on what you want to highlight.

 

Which preposition you want to use can depend on the

 

“At,” “in” and “on” for place

Example 1: I am in school.

I am inside the school, or I am busy attending classes in the school.

 

Example 2: I am at school.

I am where the school is, or I am busy attending classes at the school.

 

Both examples 1 and 2 have meanings that are so similar that you can use either of them to say the same thing.

 

Example 3: I am on the beach.

My feet are touching the sand.

 

Example 4: I am at the beach.

I am where the beach is. My feet might be touching the sand, but I might also be near the beach.

 

Example 3 is slightly more precise if you want to say that you are actually on the beach, not just near it. But in this situation, you can use either sentence.

1. At vs. In (place)

· At = specific point or location.

· In = inside an enclosed space.

 Example:

· She’s at the hospital. (location in general, maybe working or visiting)

· She’s in the hospital. (inside as a patient)

· I’m at school. (on the grounds, attending, working, or visiting)

· I’m in school. (inside the building / enrolled as a student)

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2. At vs. On (place)

Sometimes at and on both seem possible.

· We were at the beach. (location in general)

· We were on the beach. (physically standing on the sand)

· He’s at the door. (position near the door)

· He knocked on the door. (physical contact with the surface)

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3. At vs. In (time)

· At = exact time.

· In = period of time.

 Example:

· The movie starts at 6 p.m. (precise point)

· The movie will be over in 2 hours. (duration/interval)

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4. At with Activities vs. In/On

· He’s good at maths. (skill/expertise → fixed usage with at)

· He’s in maths class. (participating as a student → location in time)

· He’s on a maths course. (enrolled in a program → less common, but used in British English)

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5. At vs. To

Students often confuse these in movement/direction.

· She threw the ball at me. (target, possibly aggressive)

· She gave the ball to me. (recipient, friendly)

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 These “tricky situations” give you a neat way to close the lesson: comparing at with its “rivals” (in, on, to) and showing how the nuance changes.

Would you like me to draft a side-by-side comparison chart (like: at vs. in, at vs. on, at vs. to) that you could just drop into your lesson? It would make it super clear visually.

 

You’ve already got a very complete set — the main uses of at, the confusing cases with in/on/to, and the tricky time/place contrasts. Honestly, that’s enough to make a really strong, clear lesson.

But since you asked if there’s anything extra, here are a few “bonus” areas you might not have thought of. You don’t need all of them for your first version, but they could enrich the lesson later:

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 1. At in addresses

· We say: I live at 25 Main Street.

· Not:   in 25 Main Street (though in can be used in some dialects).

· But: I live in New York. (in is for cities/countries, at is for exact addresses or points).

 This is a very practical difference for learners.

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 2. At with age

· He left school at 16.

· She retired at 65.

· I learned to swim at a young age.

 Good because it’s a frequent mistake for learners to use in here.

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 3. At in expressing reactions

· He laughed at my joke.

· She was surprised at the news.

· They shouted at the referee.

 Useful because it shows at introduces the “cause/target” of a reaction.

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 4. At in email / digital context

· Email me at example@gmail.com

· Follow me at @username.

 Modern use that learners may encounter online.

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 5. At in expressions of speed/level (extension of rate/measurement)

· Play the song at full volume.

· He’s working at a beginner’s level.

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If you pull all this together, you’ll have:

 The core rules (place, time, events, target, rate, state, fixed expressions).
 The confusing contrasts (at vs in, on, to).
 The extra practical uses (addresses, age, reactions, digital/email).

That’s honestly the full picture of at in everyday English.

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Would you like me to bundle all of this into a teacher-friendly outline (like a clean list with headings, examples, and notes for you), so you can see everything at a glance and pick what you want to include?

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