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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A2

Prepositions of Time ESL Lesson Plan (A2, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A2 lesson on Prepositions of Time, built round the theme "The School Calendar".

  • CEFR A2
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Prepositions
  • Prepositions of Time

About this lesson

Who it is for. Elementary students who know days, months and times but mix in, on, at (in Monday, at June, on next week).

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR A2 (Elementary)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run only "Part B" of the two tasks in "Freer practice" and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Speaking
Language focus
Grammar: Prepositions of Time (in, on, at)
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (school calendar), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3 (Find someone who ...), time expression cards.
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 3, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To clarify and practise in, on, at with times, days, dates, months, years and parts of the day, and expressions with no preposition.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can ask and answer questions about birthdays, routines and events using in, on, at correctly.

  • Subsidiary aim. To develop speaking through a mingle activity.
  • Subsidiary aim. To read a school calendar for specific information.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form and use

at (small, exact)on (days)in (longer periods)No preposition
at 7 o'clock, at 6.30on Mondayin Junenext week
at nighton 4 Februaryin 2025last year
at the weekend (UK)on my birthdayin summer / the dry seasontomorrow
at Christmas / at Vesakon Monday morningin the morning / afternoon / eveningthis morning
at lunchtime, at noonon New Year's Dayin the 1990severy day

Pronunciation

  • Weak at /ət/: at seven /ət ˈsevn/. Linking: on‿Monday, in‿April.

Concept-checking questions

  • in the morning / at night — Which one uses at? (night) Is night an exception? (Yes, learn it.) on Monday morning — Why on, not in? (Because it's a specific day.) next week — Is there a preposition? (No.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
on next week, in last yearHighlight the "no preposition" column.
in the night vs at nightTeach at night as a fixed phrase.
on Monday morning vs in the morningRule: a day makes it on.
Dates: in 5 MarchPoint to the calendar: a date is a day → on.

Board plan

Left: triangleCentre: examplesRight: no preposition
IN (big): months, years, seasons, parts of the day · ON (medium): days, dates · AT (small): times, night, the weekend, festivals
at 7 o'clock · on Monday · on 4 February · in June · in 2025 · in the morning · at night · on Monday morning
next week · last year · tomorrow · this morning · every day

CEFR A2 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Prepositions of Time, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class, pairs

Aim: To create personal interest.

Write your birthday on the board: 4 February. Tell students it's your birthday.

Ask: "When's your birthday? When do you get up? When do you have lunch?" Students ask a partner (2 minutes).

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present in, on, at in context and clarify their use with times, days, dates, months, years and parts of the day.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the school calendar. When is sports day? When do classes finish on Fridays? Answer the four questions."

ICQs: "How many questions?" (Four.)

Pairs check. Check as a class.

Part B: Noticing (4 minutes)

Say: "Look at the words in bold: in, on, at. What comes after each one?" Pairs list the time expressions under in, on, at.

Part C: Clarification (10 minutes)

Draw the triangle on the board: in (big) at the top, on (medium), at (small). Pairs sort the time expression cards into the triangle. Check and build the board.

Ask the CCQs from the Language analysis.

Highlight the "no preposition" column: next week, last year, tomorrow, this morning, every day.

Highlight special cases: at night (but in the morning), on Monday morning.

Drill: at seven, on Monday, in June, at night, next week.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise accurately.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Exercise A: in, on, at or nothing. Exercise B: sort the expressions. Seven minutes."

Pairs check. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Mingle, then pairs

Aim: To use prepositions of time accurately in personalised speaking.

Give out Handout 3. Part A (6 minutes): students mingle and ask the questions. They write a name for each question.

Part B (6 minutes): students mingle again with the new questions and must answer in full sentences: "My birthday is on 12 August."

ICQs: "In Part B, do you answer with one word or a full sentence?" (A full sentence.)

Holidays quiz (6 minutes): pairs write five questions about festivals and holidays (When is Vesak? When do people celebrate Avurudu?) and swap with another pair.

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board errors heard in Stage 4; students correct them.

Quick test: say a time expression; students shout in, on, at or nothing.

Set the homework.

Homework Write your weekly timetable in 8 sentences using in, on, at and two expressions with no preposition.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Keep the triangle visible; give a card version. Weaker students answer with short phrases in Part A.
Stretch
Add in the 1990s, at the end of, in the middle of. Write a weekly timetable with 10 time expressions.

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Part B" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 2: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 3 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Part B" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith young learners, cut the writing at the end and give that time to the speaking task; keep the drilling short, and let them draw or mime where the plan allows it. With adults, keep the writing and ask for a short spoken summary in place of anything drawn or mimed.

Checking learning

8 out of 10 or better on Handout 2, Exercise A. Students answer accurately in full sentences in Part B.

Teacher's reflection

Which expressions were hardest? Did students answer more accurately in Part B than in Part A?

Handout 1: School Calendar

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Grade 9 Calendar: Term 1

Answer the questions.

  • School starts on Monday 8 January at 7.30 am.
  • The swimming gala is in February, on Saturday 17th.
  • There is no school on Independence Day, 4 February.
  • Parents' evening is on Thursday 7 March at 6 pm.
  • Sports day is in the afternoon on Friday 22 March.
  • The term exams start at the end of March.
  • Avurudu holidays begin in April.
  • Classes finish early on Fridays, at 1 pm.
  • When does school start? ______________________________
  • When is parents' evening? ______________________________
  • When is sports day? ______________________________
  • What time do classes finish on Fridays? ______________________________

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Complete with in, on, at or – (nothing).

B. Sort the expressions.

7 o'clock · Monday · June · night · 2024 · the weekend · my birthday · summer · the morning · Christmas · 10 May · noon

  • The exam is ______ Friday.
  • I was born ______ 2010.
  • Let's meet ______ 4.30.
  • We're going to India ______ next month.
  • I study best ______ the evening.
  • My birthday is ______ 5 March.
  • I never go out ______ night.
  • It's very hot here ______ April.
  • We play cricket ______ Saturday mornings.
  • I'll see you ______ tomorrow.
atonin

Handout 3: Find Someone Who ...

Part A: Ask your classmates. Write a name.

Part B: New questions. Answer in full sentences!

Find someone who ...Name
was born in May
gets up at 6 o'clock
has a birthday in the rainy season
plays a sport on Saturdays
studies at night
went to a wedding last month
Find someone who ...NameFull answer
was born on a Sunday
has lunch at 1 o'clock
visited family at Avurudu
is going on holiday next month
was born in the 2000s
watches TV in the morning

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Common errors to watch for

  • On Monday 8 January at 7.30 am · 2. On Thursday 7 March at 6 pm · 3. On Friday 22 March, in the afternoon · 4. At 1 pm
  • on · 2. in · 3. at · 4. – · 5. in · 6. on · 7. at · 8. in · 9. on · 10. –
  • at: 7 o'clock, night, the weekend, Christmas, noon
  • on: Monday, my birthday, 10 May
  • in: June, 2024, summer, the morning
ErrorCorrection
I'll see you on next week.I'll see you next week.
My birthday is in 5 March.My birthday is on 5 March.
I get up in 6 o'clock.I get up at 6 o'clock.
I study in the night.I study at night.

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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