Prepositions of Time Quiz for C1–C2: Advanced Practice

This advanced prepositions of time quiz gives C1/C2 learners 30 challenging questions covering at, in, on, by, until, since, for, during, within, throughout — with full grammar rules, common errors, and detailed answer explanations.

At the C1/C2 level, preposition errors are among the most persistent and hardest to self-correct. Unlike beginners who confuse in the morning with on the morning, advanced learners make subtler mistakes — choosing during when for is needed, or confusing by with until in deadline contexts. This lesson targets precisely those high-stakes distinctions that separate good English from truly fluent English.

Whether you are preparing for IELTS, Cambridge C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or simply want to eliminate persistent preposition errors from your writing and speech, this lesson provides the structured analysis and interactive quiz with answers you need to achieve accuracy at the highest level.

📌 Quick Answer: Prepositions of Time at a Glance

at = precise clock times and fixed points → at 9:00, at midnight, at the weekend (BrE)
in = longer periods: months, seasons, years, centuries, parts of the day → in March, in summer, in 2024, in the morning
on = specific days and dates → on Monday, on 5 April, on my birthday
by = deadline (not later than) → Submit it by Friday — means before or at that point
until/till = continuous action up to a point → I waited until 6 pm — then it stopped
since = from a past point to now (with perfect tenses) → She has lived here since 2010
for = duration of a period → He studied for three hours
during = within a named period (not a measured duration) → during the conference, during the night

Key Rule: At C1/C2, the most critical distinction is by vs until (deadline vs continuous action), since vs for (point vs duration), and during vs for (named period vs measured time).

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Advanced prepositions of time rules chart showing by vs until, since vs for, during vs for, and within explained for C1 C2 ESL learners

What Are Prepositions of Time? Advanced Definition and Function for C1/C2 Learners

A preposition of time is a function word that positions an event, action, or state within a temporal framework. At the C1/C2 level, you are expected to move beyond the basic three (at, in, on) and demonstrate precise control of the full spectrum — including by, until, since, for, during, within, throughout, prior to, ahead of, and following.

What distinguishes advanced usage is the ability to choose correctly when multiple prepositions are grammatically plausible but semantically different. The sentence "I will finish the report by/until Friday" is a classic C1 test item — both look plausible, but only one is correct (by, because it indicates a deadline, not an ongoing action). Similarly, "during three hours" is a very common C1 error because learners confuse a named period with a measured duration.

The table below summarises the core prepositions with their primary temporal function and the grammatical context they require.

Preposition	Temporal Function	Typical Context	Example
at	Precise point	Clock times, fixed moments	at dawn, at noon, at the turn of the century
in	Period / span	Months, years, decades, future "in X time"	in the 1990s, in three days' time
on	Specific day/date	Named days, dates, special occasions	on the eve of, on arrival, on completion
by	Deadline	Latest permissible time	by the end of the month
until / till	Continuous up to a point	Actions/states that continue and then stop	until further notice, till dawn
since	From point to present	Perfect tenses only	since the merger, since childhood
for	Measured duration	Any tense; answers "how long?"	for a decade, for the foreseeable future
during	Within a named period	Noun phrase — not a number + time word	during the trial, during my absence
within	Before a period ends	Formal / professional contexts	within 48 hours, within the fiscal year
throughout	Continuously across entire period	Emphasis on unbroken continuity	throughout the negotiations, throughout history

✅ Key Point: The prepositions at, in, on form the foundational layer, but C1/C2 mastery requires equal control of by, until, since, for, during, within, and throughout — especially in formal writing and academic discourse.

The Core Rules: How to Use Prepositions of Time Correctly at C1/C2 Level

At the advanced level, rules cannot be learned as isolated facts — they must be understood as a system of contrasts. The most productive way to internalise preposition choice is to study pairs: by vs until, since vs for, during vs for, within vs by, throughout vs during.

A second critical principle is that several prepositions trigger specific grammatical environments. Since almost always requires a perfect tense (present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect). By in future contexts often pairs with the future perfect: "By next year, she will have completed her PhD." Understanding these collocational and tense constraints prevents the most persistent C1/C2 errors.

Rule	Correct Use	Common Error	Why It Is Wrong
by = deadline	Submit it by 5 pm.	Submit it until 5 pm.	Until implies continuous submitting up to 5 pm
until = continuous	The shop is open until 9 pm.	The shop is open by 9 pm.	By does not describe a continuous state
since = point	I've worked here since 2018.	I've worked here for 2018.	For requires a duration, not a date
for = duration	She waited for two hours.	She waited during two hours.	During requires a named period, not a number
during = named period	I fell asleep during the lecture.	I fell asleep during one hour.	"one hour" is a duration, not a named period
within = before end of	Please respond within 24 hours.	Please respond in 24 hours.	"In 24 hours" means after 24 hours, not before

⚠️ Important Exception: By can occasionally describe a state rather than a deadline when paired with a past time reference: "By the time she arrived, everyone had left." Here by the time functions as a temporal clause conjunction, not a simple preposition. This construction requires the past perfect in the main clause.

💡 Practice Tip: To master by vs until, apply this test: replace the preposition with "no later than." If that meaning fits → use by. If the sentence means a continuous state or action that stops at a point → use until. Example: "Finish the report _____ Friday." → "no later than Friday" ✔ → use by.

The 5 Critical Preposition of Time Distinctions Every C1/C2 Learner Must Know

Contrast Pair	Core Distinction	Exam Risk Level
by vs until	Deadline vs continuous state	Very High
since vs for	Starting point vs duration	Very High
during vs for	Named period vs measured duration	High
within vs in	"Before end of" vs "after"	High
throughout vs during	Entire unbroken period vs some point within	Medium

By vs Until: The Most Tested Distinction at C1/C2

By indicates a deadline — the action must be completed no later than the stated time. Until (or till) indicates that a state or action continues up to, and ceases at, the stated point. The key is the nature of the verb: dynamic completion verbs (finish, submit, deliver, complete) collocate with by; stative or ongoing verbs (stay, wait, remain, be open) collocate with until.

Please submit the form by noon. (deadline — complete before noon)
The form submission portal is open until noon. (continuous state — closes at noon)
They had reached a decision by the end of the meeting. (completion at or before that point)
Negotiations continued until the early hours. (ongoing action that stopped)

Position rule: Both by and until directly precede a time noun phrase. Neither requires a specific tense, but by in future contexts frequently collocates with the future perfect: "By next Tuesday, I will have finished the draft."