Unit 9: Everyday English — Time, Place and the Past

In this unit

You will practise in, on and at for place and time. You will also learn three more past forms: see → saw, come → came, eat → ate.

in the room · on the table · at school · in the morning · on Monday · at seven o'clock

Remember: use for and since later, when you study the present perfect.

Step 1. Where is it? In, on or at

Look at the objects. Your teacher can use real objects in the classroom to show the meaning.

The book is in the box.

The book is on the table.

I'm at the door.

Exercise 1. Choose in, on or at

1. The pen is the table. 2. The keys are my bag. 3. She is waiting the bus stop.

These are common patterns, not a complete list of every use of each preposition.

Step 2. When? In, on or at

We also use these prepositions with time expressions.

Use	Examples
in	in the morning, in the afternoon, in July
on	on Monday, on Friday morning, on 12 May
at	at seven o'clock, at noon, at night

I get up at seven. I work in the morning. I play football on Saturday.

Exercise 2. Complete with in, on or at

1. I have breakfast seven o'clock. 2. We study English Monday. 3. She watches television the evening. 4. They play football Saturday. 5. He goes to bed night.

Step 3. More past verbs

These verbs do not add -ed. Learn the past forms in sentences.

Present	Past	Example
see	saw	I see my friend every day. I saw her yesterday.
come	came	He comes here on Monday. He came here yesterday.
eat	ate	We eat lunch at one. We ate lunch at one yesterday.

Exercise 3. Choose the past form

1. I see my neighbour every day. Yesterday I him. 2. My friend comes on Friday. Last Friday she to my house. 3. We eat at home every day. Yesterday we at home.

Step 4. Questions about the past

Use Did + person + basic verb? After did, say see, not saw.

Did you see your friend yesterday? — Yes, I did.
Did he come on Monday? — No, he didn't.
Did they eat at home? — Yes, they did.

Exercise 4. Complete the question

1. Did you your friend yesterday? (see) 2. Did she here last week? (come) 3. Did they lunch at home? (eat)

Step 5. Choose the tense

Look at the time expression. Is the sentence about a routine, something happening now, an arrangement, or the past?

Exercise 5. Choose the correct verb form

1. Every day, Maria to work. 2. Look! The children football now. 3. Yesterday, I my teacher. 4. We our friends tomorrow evening. (The plan is arranged.) 5. He usually tea in the morning.

Step 6. Read and practise

Yesterday was Monday. I got up at seven o'clock. I had breakfast in the kitchen. I went to work on the bus. I saw my friend Sam at the bus stop. He came to my house in the evening, and we ate dinner together. Today I am working at home. Tomorrow evening, I am meeting Sam again.

The text includes a few past forms that will be studied more fully later. For now, use the context to understand the story and notice the target prepositions and familiar tenses.

Exercise 6. Answer the questions

1. What time did the writer get up? 2. Who did the writer see? 3. When is the writer meeting Sam again?

Step 7. Your English

Write or say four sentences about your life. Use the examples to help you.

I get up at …
I work / study in the …
On …, I usually …
Yesterday, I …
Tomorrow evening, I'm …

1. A sentence with at: 2. A sentence with in or on: 3. Something you did yesterday: 4. An arrangement for tomorrow:

These are personal answers. Read them aloud and check that your time expressions and verb forms agree.

Teacher's note

Use real classroom objects to show in and on, and familiar locations to establish at. For time, use a clock, a weekly calendar and examples from learners' routines. Explain only the patterns needed for this lesson; these prepositions have other uses that can be introduced gradually.

Recycle present simple, present continuous and past simple. The new irregular verbs are saw, came and ate. Do not introduce past participles here: see / saw / seen can wait until the present perfect.

The pace can be adjusted. Learners who already know some English can move through the controlled work quickly; learners who need more support can repeat the oral models, use mime, and practise fewer examples at a time.