50 Prepositional Phrases with AT

Prepositional Phrases with AT (Meaning, Use & Natural Examples)

Hello, English learners. Welcome back. Today, we’re looking at one of the most common prepositional phrases with AT.

Learners often ask:

• Why do we say at school, but in a building?
• Why at night, but in the morning?
• Why at risk, at ease, at a loss?

The answer is simple — but rarely explained well.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how at works, not just memorise a list. This will help you sound more natural, avoid common mistakes, and write more confidently for exams.

What does AT mean in English?

We generally use at when we see something as:

• a point, not a space
• an activity, not a building
• a specific moment, not a period
• a fixed expression that must be learned as a chunk

Let’s look at this step by step.

1. AT + places seen as points or activities

We use at when the focus is on what happens there, not on the physical building.

Common examples

At home

Meaning: in your own place of living.

She feels most comfortable when she’s at home.

At work

Meaning: doing your job or being in your workplace.

He is very productive at work.

At school

Meaning: attending school as a student.

The children are learning new things at school.

At the office

Meaning: in your workplace, especially for office jobs.

He left his documents at the office.

👉 Compare:

• He is at school (student activity)
• He is in the school (inside the building)

2. AT + public places (as locations, not spaces)

Here, at shows where someone is, without focusing on size or shape.

At the shop

Meaning: in a place where things are sold.

He’s at the shop buying tools.

At the park

Meaning: in a public outdoor area for leisure.

We had a picnic at the park.

At the airport

Meaning: in a place for air travel.

She’s waiting for her flight at the airport.

At the station

Meaning: where trains or buses arrive and leave.

He met his friend at the station.

At the hospital

Meaning: working in or receiving medical care there.

She works at the hospital.

3. AT + events and social occasions

We use at for events people attend.

At the party

Meaning: present at a social event.

Everyone had a great time at the party.

At the concert

Meaning: present at a live music event.

He was working at the concert.

At the restaurant

Meaning: eating or working there.

She works at the restaurant as a chef.

At the cinema

Meaning: watching a film.

They spent the evening at the cinema.

4. AT + times and specific moments

We use at for exact times or short moments.

At night

Meaning: during the night.

She prefers to study at night.

At dawn

Meaning: when the sun begins to rise.

The fishermen set out at dawn.

At the moment

Meaning: right now.

I’m busy at the moment.

At last

Meaning: finally, after waiting.

The train arrived at last.

5. AT + position and location points

Here, at shows a specific point, not an area.

At the corner

There’s a café at the corner of the street.

At the top

His name is at the top of the list.

At the bottom

There’s a cave at the bottom of the cliff.

At the traffic lights

The car stopped at the traffic lights.

At the crossroads / intersection

They met at the crossroads.

At the finish line

She collapsed at the finish line

6. Fixed expressions with AT (learn these as chunks)

These expressions do not follow clear rules — they must be memorised.

At ease

Meaning: relaxed and comfortable.

The teacher’s calm voice put the students at ease.

At risk

Meaning: in danger.

The village is at risk of flooding.

At odds

Meaning: in disagreement.

The two colleagues are at odds.

At a loss

Meaning: confused or unsure what to do.

I was at a loss for words.

At heart

Meaning: in your true nature.

He’s kind at heart.

At random

Meaning: without a plan.

They chose a restaurant at random.

At your service

Meaning: ready to help.

If you need anything, I’m at your service.

At capacity

Meaning: completely full.

The hall was at capacity.

At full speed

Meaning: as fast as possible.

The train travelled at full speed.

At gunpoint

Meaning: threatened with a weapon.

He was robbed at gunpoint.

Common learner mistakes with AT

❌ in home → ✅ at home

❌ in the night → ✅ at night

❌ at the building → ✅ in the building

❌ at school building → ✅ at school / in the school

Final tip

Think of at as a point, moment, or activity — not a physical space. Once you stop translating and start thinking this way, your English becomes calmer, clearer, and more natural.

Learn 50 prepositional phrases related to time here

Learn 40 prepositional phrases using WITH here

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