When to Use 'AT', 'ON', and 'IN'

AT

- PRECISE TIME - at 1 o'clock p.m. 
- POINT - at the corner, at the subway station, at the bus stop
- DESTINATION - at the top of the mountain
- LOCATION - at the back of the department store
- TIME OF THE DAY - at noon, at night

- DESIGNATED SPECIFIC - The train is due at 12:15 p.m.

- SPECIFIC ADDRESSES - She lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham.

ON

- DAYS - on Monday
- DATES - on the 1st of July
- SURFACE - on the wall, on the table
- PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - on the train
- DIRECTIONS - on the left, on the right
- FLOORS - on the 1st floor
- STREET - on Mapo Street
- AVENUES - on the 5th avenue

- DESIGNATED DAYS AND DATES - My brother is coming on Monday. 

We're having a party on the Fourth of July.

- DESIGNATED NAMES OF STREETS, AVENUES, ETC - Her house is on Boretz Road.

IN
- MONTHS - in June
- YEARS -in 2008
- CENTURIES - in the 22nd century
- LONG PERIODS - in 6 months

- ENCLOSED SPACE - in the box, in my pocket
- PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION - in a car, in a taxi, in a lift (elevator)
- COUNTRIES - in America, in Korea
- TIME OF THE DAY - in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

- NON-SPECIFIC TIMES DURING A DAY, A MONTH, A SEASON OR A YEAR - He started the job in 1971

She likes to jog in the morning.
It's too cold in winter to run outside.

- NAMES OF LAND AREAS (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents) 
- She lives in Durham

Durham is in Windham County.

Windham County is in Connecticut.

MORE EXAMPLES:

IN in bed in the bedroom in the car in the library in school in London in my pocket in a building in the garden in my wallet in May in summer in 1990 in the 1990's in the Ice Age in the past in the future in the morning

AT at work at home at the library at the office at school at the bus stop at the door at the top  at the exit at the bottom at 3:00 pm at noon  at dinnertime at bedtime at sunrise at sunset at the moment at weekend

ON on the bed on the ceiling on the floor on the horse on the plane on the train on the door on the carpet on a page on the menu on a bicycle on television on the right on the left on Sunday on March 6th on Labor Day on my birthday

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The rule for "is" and "are"

First things first:


SUBJECT
The subject tells you who or what is being talked about in the sentence. It is either a noun or pronoun. 


Example:
He is handsome. (Who is handsome? He is, therefore he is the subject)


VERB
The verb tells you what is happening in the sentence or a state of being.  


Example:
The trainees climbed the ladder. 
(What did the trainees do? They climbed the ladder. Therefore climbed is the verb.)


She is happy. 
(What state is she in? She is happy. Therefore is is the verb.)


Basic Rule:
The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject takes a plural verb. The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb.


Hint: 
Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they.


Example:
talks, talk
Which one is the singular form? 
Which word would you use with he? 
We say, "He talks." Therefore, talks is singular. 
We say, "They talk." 
Therefore, talk is plural.


Rule 1
Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.


Rule 2
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb 
Examples:
Neither John nor Susan  is available.
Either Kiana or Casey helps today with stage decorations.


Rule 3
When one of your two subjects is I, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Example:
Neither she nor I am going to the festival.


Rule 4
When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example:
The book or the magazines are on the shelf.


Rule 5
When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example:
Neither Jenny nor the others are available.


Rule 6
As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Example:
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.


Rule 7
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause 
of her shaking.


Rule 8
The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
Examples:
Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.


NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.


Rule 9
With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc.—look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
(Pie is the object of the preposition of.)


Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
(Pies is the object of the preposition.)


One-third of the city is unemployed.
One-third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.


Rule 10
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Examples:
Neither of them is available to speak right now.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.


Rule 11
The words here and there are never subjects because they are not nouns. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.
Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.


Rule 12
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Examples:
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.


Rule 13
Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Charlene is the scientist who writes the reports.
(The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes.)


He is one of the men who do the work.
(The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.)


Rule 14
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples:
The staff is in a meeting.
(Staff is acting as a unit here.)


The staff are in disagreement about the findings.
(The staff are acting as separate individuals in this sentence.)


The sentence would read even better like this:
The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.

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Correct use of "The"

Definite Article: the
The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is particular or specific. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group.
 Examples:

The dog (that specific dog) is barking.
The apple (that specific apple) is big.

DO NOT USE THE BEFORE:
- names of countries except the Netherlands, the Philippines and the US.

 Examples:
The Italy
The Germany
The United States

- names of cities, towns, or states.
 Examples:
The Manila
I went to the Seattle.


- names of streets
 Examples:
The Main street
The Keele street


- names of lakes and bays except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes.
 Examples:
The Lake Erie
The Great Lakes


- names of mountains except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn.
 Examples:
The Mount Everest
The Mount Fuji
The Rockies
The Andes


- names of continents
 Examples:
The Asia
The Europe


- names of islands except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands.
 Examples:
The Easter Island
The Key West
the Hebrides
the Canary Islands


- The is NOT used with non-countable nouns referring to something in a general sense:

 Examples:

The Coffee is a popular drink.

The Japanese was his native language.

The Intelligence is difficult to quantify.


- names of languages and nationalities.

 Examples:

I can speak the Chinese.

Can you understand the English?

Are you the Russian?


- names of sports.

 Examples:

I can play the chess.

We played the basketball yesterday.


- names of academic subjects.

 Examples:

She flunked the Music.

Is the Math your favorite subject?


- names of seasons and months.

 Examples:

My birthday is in the October.

It's the winter.


- names of festivals and holidays.

 Examples:

They still celebrate the Chinese New year.

I will not go to work today because it's the Christmas.

DO USE THE BEFORE:
- names of rivers, oceans and seas.
 Examples:
The Nile River
The Pacific Ocean


- points on the globe.
 Examples:
The Equator
The North Pole


- geographical areas
 Examples:
The Middle East
The West


- deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas
 Examples:
The Sahara
The Persian Gulf
The Black Forest
The Peninsula


- with time expressions
 Examples:
the past
the present time


- used with non-countable nouns that are made more specific by a limiting modifying phrase or clause:

 Examples:

The coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.

The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.

The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.


- used when a noun refers to something unique (only one exists) or widely-known

 Examples:

the White House

the theory of relativity

the internet

the computer

the Mona Lisa


- superlatives

 Examples:

the highest temperature

the lowest rate

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