When "at" and "by" indicate time
When "at" and "by" indicate time
Both "at" and "by" are part of the popular prepositions of the English language used in everyday life. They are known to indicate location and they can as well indicate timing of events or actions. Both prepositions have for long been used interchangeably in order to indicate timing of events and the foregoing sections of this article will reveal the contexts in which they can be used to indicate time.
At
At, as a preposition that indicates time, is used when providing information about the commencement of an event. That is, it is used to indicate the time an event will commence or take place. For example;
1. The party started at 8:30 pm.
2. We will be there at the dawning of a new day.
3. Margaret and Thatcher will arrive at half past 12.
4. The students and their lecturers must be seated in the hall at 7:00 am.
5. The Doctor said the DNA results will be available at 4:00 pm African time.
So from the examples above, it can easily be deduced that the preposition "at", when it functions as an indicator of time, is used when reference is being made to when an event will commence or begin in the future.
By
By is also a preposition that is capable of indicating time. It is used when reference is being made to the timing of the conclusion of an event. That is, it is used when a person is giving information about the time an event will be brought to an end as opposed to its inception. Take for example;
1. The meeting ended by 4:00pm.
2. She closed the bidding by 7:45 pm.
3. The bell boy rang the bell by 8:59 am.
4. The match was over by evening.
5. The discussants left the gathering by noon.
So the preposition "by" is the correct preposition to use when making reference to the time an event is to come to an end and is not to be used interchangeably with the preposition, at, as both perform related but distinct functions.
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