🎂 The Birthday Party Surprise
(IN, ON, AT – When do we use each one?)
Step 1: Look and guess!
Look at the title: "The Birthday Party Surprise" 🎂 What do you think happens?
✔️ She tells everyone the wrong time by accident 😱
✔️ Guests arrive at different times ⏰
✔️ Everything works out in the end and everyone laughs! 😄
Step 2: Read the story
Lucy wants to throw a surprise birthday party for her best friend, Emma. Emma's birthday is on July 15th. Lucy plans everything carefully.
She sends messages to all their friends. She writes: "The party is on Saturday at 7:00 PM. Please come on time!"
But Lucy makes a funny mistake. She writes the wrong address! She writes: "Come at 123 Maple Street" but Emma lives at 321 Maple Street.
On the day of the party, Lucy arrives early. She decorates the house. She puts balloons everywhere. She bakes a cake in the morning. Everything looks perfect.
At 6:45 PM, guests start to arrive. But they go to the wrong house! At 7:00 PM, Lucy calls her friend Mark. "Where are you?" she asks. Mark says, "We are at 123 Maple Street, but no one is here!"
Lucy realizes her mistake. She laughs. "I am so silly! The party is at 321 Maple Street!" she says.
All the guests arrive at 7:30 PM. Emma arrives at 7:45 PM. She is very surprised and happy! "This is the best birthday ever!" she says. They celebrate late into the night.
Lucy learns an important lesson: Always check the address before you send the invitation! And Emma's birthday on July 15th is now a very funny memory.
Step 3: Discover the prepositions of time
📌 Look at these sentences from the story. Answer the questions to discover the rules for IN, ON, and AT.
🔎 Sentence 1: "The party is at 7:00 PM."
🔎 Sentence 2: "Guests start to arrive at 6:45 PM."
🔎 Sentence 3: "Emma arrives at 7:45 PM."
Question: When do we use the word "AT" for time?
📌 We use AT for exact times on the clock.
Examples: at 7:00 PM, at 6:45, at noon, at midnight, at 3:30.
🔎 Sentence 4: "Come at 123 Maple Street."
🔎 Sentence 5: "The party is at 321 Maple Street."
Question: We also use "AT" for places. When do we use "AT" for location?
📌 We use AT for exact addresses and specific points.
Examples: at 123 Maple Street, at the bus stop, at the door, at the party.
🔎 Sentence 6: "Emma's birthday is on July 15th."
🔎 Sentence 7: "The party is on Saturday."
🔎 Sentence 8: "On the day of the party, Lucy arrives early."
Question: When do we use the word "ON" for time?
📌 We use ON for specific days and calendar dates.
Examples: on Monday, on July 15th, on Christmas Day, on my birthday, on the weekend (US English).
🔎 Sentence 9: "She bakes a cake in the morning."
🔎 (Not in story but common): "I was born in July." / "In 2023, I started learning English." / "In summer, we go to the beach."
Question: When do we use the word "IN" for time?
📌 We use IN for: months, years, seasons, and parts of the day (morning/afternoon/evening).
Examples: in July, in 2024, in summer, in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.
⚠️ Exception: "at night" (not "in the night")
🔎 Sentence 10: "Please come on time!"
🔎 Sentence 11: "They celebrate late into the night."
Question: Are there special expressions without "in/on/at"?
📌 We do NOT use "in/on/at" with: today, tomorrow, yesterday, this morning, last week, next year, every day, tonight, now, soon, late, early.
Examples: "See you tomorrow." "I went there last week." "Call me tonight."
📌 Exception: "on time" (meaning punctually) – this uses "on"!
Step 4: Do you understand the story?
Step 5: Summary – When to use IN, ON, AT
⏰ AT
Specific times: at 5 o'clock, at 10:30
Mealtimes: at breakfast, at lunch
Holidays (no "day"): at Christmas, at Easter
Specific points: at the moment, at the same time
Addresses: at 123 Main Street
📅 ON
Days: on Monday, on Tuesday
Dates: on July 15th, on May 1st
Specific days + part of day: on Friday morning, on Saturday night
Holidays with "day": on Christmas Day, on my birthday
Weekend (UK): at the weekend (UK), on the weekend (US)
🌙 IN
Months: in January, in July
Years: in 2024, in 1999
Seasons: in summer, in winter
Parts of the day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
Long periods: in the past, in the future
Step 6: Choose the correct preposition
Step 7: Complete the sentences from the story
Step 8: Write about your schedule
Write 4 sentences about your daily routine using IN, ON, or AT:
Step 9: Speaking Practice – Talk about times and dates
Task: Press the microphone button and say two sentences using prepositions of time (in, on, at).
"I wake up at 7 o'clock."
"My birthday is in August."
"I go to the cinema on Friday."
"I do my homework in the evening."
