Uses of Preposition At with Examples - in Full Details

At is one of the most frequently used prepositions in speech and writing. The preposition at is basically used to express time, place or activity. Just as prepositions show the relationship between two parts of speech, so does the preposition at. At expresses the relationship (as of time, place or activity) between two parts of speech in a sentence. 

Continue to read the entire article to learn more about the preposition at meaning, uses, rules and examples with clear explanation. 

This article covers:

• At preposition meaning 
• Uses of at preposition with examples
• Use of at for time 
• Use of at for place 
• Use of at for activity 
• FAQs about uses of at preposition with examples

At Preposition Meaning with Examples

The preposition at is used to show the relationship (as of time, place or activity) between two parts of speech in a sentence. As a preposition, at has different uses such as expressing time, telling place, showing direction, etc. 

At is used in a number of different situations such as when describing clock time, meal time, age, specific locations and positions, companies and institutions, address, prices, speeds, etc. 

Preposition At Examples: 

1. John woke up at 6 o'clock in the morning.

2. He was not there at the inquiry desk. 

3. Smith threw a stone at him.

Explanation: 

Example 1 uses the preposition at in "at 7 o'clock" to show the relationship of time between "7 o'clock" and "John's waking up". Example 2 shows the relationship of place between "the inquiry desk" and "was". Example 3 expresses the relationship of direction between "him" and "threw".

Uses of At Preposition with Examples

Out of many uses of at, the below-given uses are more common. The most common uses of at preposition with examples are given below. 

1. Use of At for Time 

a. At is used for points of time 

At for Points of Time Examples: 

• He'll sleep at 9 o'clock.
• Sofia called me at 10 o'clock yesterday.
• The train departs at 7 o'clock. 

b. At can also be used for periods of time (limited use) 

At for Periods Examples: 

• What do you do at night? 
• I couldn't say anything at that time.
• It's something that happens at the present time. 

Use of At for Place 

At is used for positions and locations both of which refer to place and are seen as points. 

For example:

• The boy wad waiting in front my shop at the left side. 
• I was standing there at the inquiry desk. 

Use of At for Age 

At for Age Examples

• The children in my area go to school at 5. 
• At 17, we used to go to cut grass for your cows and bulls.

Use of At for Companies and Institutions

For examples:

• John worked at Microsoft.
• This ancient book can be found at Maulana Azad Library. 

Use of At for Address

At for Address Examples

• My shop is located at Azad Street in Mumbai.
• Contact us at name123@email.com 

Use of At for Activities

For example:

• There were more than one lac people at the exhibition ground. 
• I waited for you at the party.

Use of At with Adjectives

For example:

• He's good at speaking French. 
• He's bad at writing English. 

Use of At for Direction

For example:

• He threw a stone at me. 
• The singer waived at his fans. 

Use of At for Prices

For example:

• At 15 dollars a night for a two-seater room, the price is quite reasonable. 
• The bananas are sold at 1 dollar.

Use of At for Speeds

For examples:

• You should drive at 60 mph.
• John was driving at 100 mph.

FAQs - Uses of At Preposition with Examples

At preposition meaning

Like other prepositions, the preposition at shows relationship between a noun, noun phrase or pronoun and other parts of speech. The primary function of the preposition at is to express time, place or activities. 

Where do we use at preposition?

1. To express points and periods of time 

2. To express points of  place 

3. Before public activities

4. Before email address

5. Before age 

6. Before numbers 

7. Before prices 

8. Before speeds

What is the rule for the preposition at? 

The rule for the preposition at is that you must use the preposition at when you refer to points of time and place. 

What are some examples of at?

1. John threw a medium-sized stone at him.

2. Why are you looking at him?

3. She is good at storytelling.

4. I am terrible at speaking English.

5. John usually drives at 60 mph.

6. What did you do at 9. 

7. He arrived at the station.

10 At preposition sentences 

1. I got up at 7 o'clock in the morning.

2. We'll meet at lunchtime.

3. This is taking place at the present moment.

4. What do you do at night?

5. Shall we go to the movies at the weekend. 

6. My shop is located at number 11 Azad Street in Mumbai.

7. She is bad at speaking French.

8. Bananas are sold at 2 dollars a dozen.

9. We'll have a word at dinnertime.