At

We useatto talk about points in time, ages and some periods of time:

I was upat6 am this morning.(a point in time)

At12 noon, all the bells rang out.(a point during the day)

They all get dressed upatHalloween.(a point on the calendar)

Many children leave schoolat16.(referring to a specific age)

At20, I thought I knew everything.

We can useatto refer to some periods of time:at night, at that time, at the New Year:

They leave the front-door light onatnight.(period of time)

We useatto describe a position or location seen as a point:

A fisherman waited near his netsatthe side of the quay.(position as a point)

There was no oneatthe information desk.(location as a point)

We useatto describe locations including firms, companies, workplaces and educational institutions:

Did you once workatIntel?

The ancient manuscript, The Book of Kells, can be seenatTrinity College, Dublin.

We useatwhen we refer to an address:

The restaurant used to beatnumber 72 Henry Street.

We useat theto refer to public places where we get treatments, such as a dentist’s or doctor’s surgery, hairdresser’s or spa:

While Liz wasat thedentist, I went shopping.

I read an interesting article about plastic surgery in a magazine when I wasatthehairdresser’s.

We useatto refer to activities which involve a group of people:

I didn’t know anyoneatthe party.

There was a demonstrationatthe opening of the exhibition.

We use adjective +atto talk about things that we do well or badly:

I was never verygood atsports.

She was alwaysbrilliant atdrawing.

He wasterrible atkeeping his accounts in order.

In specific contexts, we useatwith numbers.

Talking about prices:

At 80 poundsa night for a double room, the hotel is good value.

Talking about speeds:

According to the police, he was drivingat 120 mph.(mphmeans ‘miles per hour’)

We useatafter a verb when we are talking about directing something towards another person or thing, often with verbs of perception andcommunication (smile at, shout at, wave at):

Hethrewthe ballatthe wall.

Shewas waving atthe crowd.

When we talk about buildings, we often useat theto refer to the building itself. When we refer to the activity that happens in the building, we don’t usetheafteratorin:

The taxi dropped meatthe school.(referring to the building)

I hated beingatschool.(referring to the activity within the school not the building)

• When we talk about how well or badly we do something, we saygood/bad at, notin:

I’m so badattelling left from right!

Not:I’m so bad in telling left from right!

• We useat, notin, for points of time or place:

What are you doingatthe weekend?

Not: …in the weekend

Come and sitatthe table.

Not: …in the table

• We useat, notin, when we talk about a person’s age:

He diedatthe age of 85.

Not: …in the age of…