How to use "in" with dates and time in English

Some English prepositions seem simple — until you have to use them. Take "in," for instance. When it comes to time expressions, there's a logic to how it works, but the rules aren't always obvious. Let's break it down 

"In" with parts of the day

We use "in" with "morning," "afternoon," and "evening." It works for both specific days and general habits. For example:

"Let's meet in the morning."

"She always works better in the afternoon."

"They usually take walks in the evening."

"In" with years

When we talk about years, whether past, present, or future, we always use "in." For instance:

"She was born in 1991."

"The building was constructed in 2010."

"The project will finish in 2025."

"In" with seasons

We use "in" with all four seasons of the year — spring, summer, fall, and winter. For example:

"In spring, the trees are covered in flowers."

"It gets really hot in summer, so people go to the beach."

"Many cafés sell pumpkin spice drinks in fall."

"He loves to go skiing in the winter."

Common time phrases with "in"

There are plenty of common phrases in English that use "in" when talking about time. Here are a few you'll hear often:

"We'll finish in a minute." (very soon)

"In the meantime, let's have coffee." (while waiting)

"It will pay off in the long run." (eventually)

"They completed the task in no time." (very quickly)

Once you start picking up on the patterns for using "in" with time, you'll start hearing them everywhere. Instead of simply memorizing rules, pay attention to how they're used, and they'll start to feel more natural.

Want to see more? Check out our Daily Dose of Denglisch Docs video.