Class #5 - Using "in" "at" and "on" / question words

Vocabulary

BLANKET

DIARY / APPOINTMENT BOOK

LAMP

NEWSPAPER

NIGHTGOWN

PAJAMAS (STRIPED)

PLAID SHIRT

RUG

SIDE TABLE

SLIPPERS

ALARM CLOCK

BRITISH POUNDS

A Neat Diary

W: My God, Harry. Your diary is so neat.

M: Well, sweetheart, people with a bad memory need good diaries.

W: And you have so many appointments!

M: Yes, darling. I am a busy man.

W: On Monday, June 6th, at 9 o'clock in the morning, you are giving a lecture at Cambridge University.

M: Yes, I know.

W: On the same day, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, you give a lecture at Oxford University.

M: It is the same lecture.

W: And at 7 o'clock in the evening you give a lecture in London, at the London School of Economics.

M: That's right.

W: They are very important universities. Is it a very important lecture?

M: Yes, yes. 

W: What is the subject?

M: Five pounds if you guess.

W: No idea.

M: The importance of keeping a neat diary.

W: Oh, Harry!

Difference between A.M and P.M

Prepositions "On", "At"and "In"

A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other part of the sentence.

Prepositions can be tricky for English learners. There is no definite rule or formula for choosing a preposition. In the beginning stage of learning the language, you should try to identify a preposition when reading or listening in English and recognize its usage. 

• to the office
• at the desk
• on the table
• in an hour
• about myself

A preposition is used to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object. 

Here are some common prepositions and examples.

On

Used to express a surface of something:

• I put an egg on the kitchen table.
• The paper is on my desk.

Used to specify days and dates:

• The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays.
• I was born on the 14th day of June in 1988.

Used to indicate a device or machine, such as a phone or computer:

• He is on the phone right now.
• She has been on the computer since this morning.
• My favorite movie will be on TV tonight.

Used to indicate a part of the body:

• The stick hit me on my shoulder.
• He kissed me on my cheek.
• I wear a ring on my finger.

Used to indicate the state of something:

• Everything in this store is on sale.
• The building is on fire.

At

Used to point out specific time:

• I will meet you at 12 p.m.
• The bus will stop here at 5:45 p.m.

Used to indicate a place:

• There is a party at the club house.
• There were hundreds of people at the park.
• We saw a baseball game at the stadium.

Used to indicate an email address:

• Please email me at abc@defg.com.

Used to indicate an activity:

• He laughed at my acting.
• I am good at drawing a portrait.

In

Used for unspecific times during a day, month, season, year:

• She always reads newspapers in the morning.
• In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks.
• The new semester will start in March.

Used to indicate a location or place:

• She looked me directly in the eyes.
• I am currently staying in a hotel.
• My hometown is Los Angeles, which is in California.

Used to indicate a shape, color, or size:

• This painting is mostly in blue.
• The students stood in a circle.
• This jacket comes in four different sizes.

Used to express while doing something:

• In preparing for the final report, we revised the tone three times.
• A catch phrase needs to be impressive in marketing a product.

Used to indicate a belief, opinion, interest, or feeling:

• I believe in the next life.
• We are not interested in gambling.

The most common question words in English are the following:

WHO

WHO is only used when referring to people. (= I want to know the person)

• Who is the best football player in the world?
• Who are your best friends?
• Who is that strange guy over there?

WHERE

WHERE is used when referring to a place or location. (= I want to know the place)

• Where is the library?
• Where do you live?
• Where are my shoes?

WHEN

WHEN is used to refer to a time or an occasion. (= I want to know the time)

• When do the shops open?
• When is his birthday?
• When are we going to finish?

WHY

WHY is used to obtain an explanation or a reason. (= I want to know the reason)

• Why do we need a nanny?
• Why are they always late?
• Why does he complain all the time?

Normally the response begins with "Because..."

WHAT

WHAT is used to refer to specific information. (= I want to know the thing)

• What is your name?
• What is her favourite colour?
• What is the time?

WHICH

WHICH is used when a choice needs to be made. (= I want to know the thing between alternatives)

• Which drink did you order – the rum or the beer?
• Which day do you prefer for a meeting – today or tomorrow?
• Which is better - this one or that one?

HOW

HOW is used to describe the manner that something is done. (= I want to know the way)

• How do you cook paella?
• How does he know the answer?
• How can I learn English quickly?

With HOW there are a number of other expressions that are used in questions:

How much – refers to a quantity or a price (uncountable nouns)

• How much time do you have to finish the test?
• How much is the jacket on display in the window?
• How much money will I need?

How many – refers to a quantity (countable nouns)

• How many days are there in April?
• How many people live in this city?
• How many brothers and sister do you have?

How often – refers to frequency

• How often do you visit your grandmother?
• How often does she study?
• How often are you sick?

How far – refers to distance

• How far is the university from your house?
• How far is the bus stop from here?