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Quicksilver one. This is a download from BBC Learning English to find out more. Visit our website. Six minutes broadcast from BBC Learning English dot com.

Hello and welcome to Six Minute Vocabulary.

I'm Neal, a very smart Neal and I'm Catherine. Why are you wearing a suit and you're looking very smart for work?

Well, yes, you're right.

I am wearing a suit because I'm going to a wedding at one o'clock. Very good. I love weddings.

I love weddings, too. I'm going to another one on Saturday. Fantastic meal and art and on are two of the words we're discussing in today's program. Yes.

Because we're talking about time expressions within on and at.

We'll explain why we say at one o'clock, but on Saturday. Yes. And we'll give you lots of examples.

Let's start by listening to Mike and Rob. They're trying to find a time to meet up. Think about this question while you listen. What time can Rob meet Mike? How about lunch on Monday, Rob? Well, I've got a meeting at 11 thirty, OK? Are you free? On Tuesday, the engineers coming at lunchtime, the washing machines flooded again. It happened at Easter, too.

Well, what are you doing in the afternoon? Sorry, I'm playing football, OK. Perhaps we could meet in the pub on Saturday evening. We've got guests at the weekend. How about this afternoon at two thirty.

So we asked you what time can Rob meet Mike?

And the answer is at 230.

When we say a particular time on the clock, we use at. So we say at two thirty at three o'clock.

We also use at and other time expressions. Listen out for them in this clip.

How about lunch on Monday, Rob? Well, I've got a meeting at eleven thirty, OK. Are you free on Tuesday, the engineers coming at lunchtime, the washing machines flooded again. It happened to Easter to. So Rob had a meeting at 11, 30, it's art because it's a time. That's right.

We also heard at lunchtime we use at with particular points during the day like meal times. So it's at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner.

And also we say at noon, at midnight.

Now, Rob said his washing machine flooded at Easter. We use that to talk about a special day or group of days. So it's at Easter, at new year, at Christmas.

So that's at.

Now, let's look at on we use on with days of the week.

So on Monday, on Tuesday, we also use on with specific dates on the 3rd of May, on June the 20th.

And we use on with specific days on Christmas Day. On Easter Sunday. On my birthday.

That's right. But remember, it's at Easter. At Christmas when we are referring to the general time period. Good.

Now, let's listen to another clip with more time expressions. This time, listen out for the time expression with in what are you doing in the afternoon?

Sorry, I'm playing football. OK, perhaps we could meet in the pub on Saturday evening. We've got guests at the weekend. How about this afternoon at two thirty. So we had in the afternoon we use in with parts of the day, so it's in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, but did you notice that it's on Saturday evening?

If we use a day of the week, plus morning, afternoon or evening, we use on and we also use in with seasons.

So it's in spring.

In the winter, we use in with months and years. So it's in June, in 1996.

Notice also that Rob said at the weekend Rob speaks British English. So he used at the weekend. Some of the speakers will say on the weekend, it's perfectly fine.

Six minutes capital. From the BBC, and we're talking about time expressions with in, on and at we are. So to recap, we use on with days of the week dates and special days we use at with times and particular points in the day.

British people say at the weekend. And we also use at with festivals we use in four seasons, months and years.

And now for a quiz. Fill the gaps with in on or out. Ready? Number one, what do you usually do the weekend? And the answer is at good number two, don't be late.

The film starts at nine and the answer is at the last one.

There are usually fireworks in London. New Year's Eve, and the answer is on. Well done if you got them. All right.

Well done indeed. And now for today's Top Tips for learning vocabulary. Instead of learning individual new words, one by one, try learning small chunks of language like time phrases. They will be easier to learn and they make your English sound a lot more natural.

There's more about this at BBC Learning English dot com.

Join us again for more six minute vocabulary by six minutes vocabulary from the BBC.