📅 Lesson 6.3: Times & Dates — Making Plans
When do we meet? What are you doing on Friday? In this lesson you learn the small words at, in, and on for time, the months and seasons, and how to make plans with a friend. By the end, you can invite someone, choose a day, and say "That sounds great!"
📚 What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Use prepositions of time — at, in, on — with clear rules
- Say the months, seasons, and dates in English
- Talk about your plans with going to and the present continuous
- Invite a friend, and accept an invitation politely
⏱️ Estimated Time: ~50 minutes
🎯 Project: Make a plan with a partner out loud in 6 or more sentences, using at/in/on and going to, and inviting them to do something.
In This Lesson
🔤 New Words in This Lesson
Here are some useful words from this lesson. Tap 🔊 to hear a word.
- plan — an idea about what you will do
- weekend — Saturday and Sunday
- month — one of the twelve parts of a year (January, May…)
- season — spring, summer, fall, or winter
- date — a day, like May 3rd
- birthday — the day you were born
- invite — to ask someone to come or join you
- arrangement — a plan with another person, already fixed
- free — not busy, with no plans
- busy — with a lot to do, not free
When Do We Meet?
You have friends. You have things to do. So you need to make plans: "Let's meet on Friday." "I'm going to visit my family in July." "See you at seven!" To do this, you need three small time words — at, in, and on — and a way to talk about the future.
Do not worry — this is very useful, everyday English. When you finish this lesson, you can arrange to meet a friend, choose a day and a time, and answer "yes" in a warm, natural way. 📅
🧠 Mindset
You make plans in your own language all the time. Today you just learn the English words for it. The little words at, in, on can feel confusing at first — even good speakers think about them. That is normal! You will learn them with a simple rules table and lots of examples. Take it one word at a time, and soon they will feel natural. 🌱
At, In, On for Time
English uses three small words to say when something happens: at, in, and on. Each one has a clear job. Study this table — it is the heart of the lesson.
| Word | Use it for… | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | clock times & night | at 7 o'clock, at night |
| in | parts of the day, months, seasons, years | in the morning, in July, in winter, in 2026 |
| on | days & dates, the weekend | on Monday, on my birthday, on May 3, on the weekend |
💡 An easy way to remember
Think of them from big to small. Use in for the biggest, long times — months, seasons, years, and parts of the day (in July, in winter, in the morning). Use on for one day (on Monday, on my birthday). Use at for the smallest, exact points — a clock time (at 7 o'clock). Big → in, day → on, point → at. 🕐
⚠️ Watch out — special cases: We say at night (not "in night"), and in the morning / afternoon / evening — but at night. We also say on the weekend (British English says at the weekend). These few do not follow the big rule, so just learn them as they are. 🌙
✅ Pro Tip
Read these correct examples out loud a few times, and your ear will learn them: "at 8 o'clock," "in the morning," "on Monday," "in July," "at night," "on my birthday," "in summer," "on the weekend." Saying them out loud helps more than trying to memorize the rules. Trust your ear! 👂
Months, Seasons & Dates
To talk about the year, you need the months and the seasons. Read each one out loud.
🗓️ The twelve months
🍂 The four seasons
- spring — flowers grow (March–May)
- summer — hot and sunny (June–August)
- fall (autumn) — leaves fall (September–November)
- winter — cold, sometimes snow (December–February)
🔢 Dates: how we say them
For dates, we use ordinal numbers — first, second, third, and so on. These tell us the order of the days in a month.
| We write | We say |
|---|---|
| 1st | the first |
| 2nd | the second |
| 3rd | the third |
| 4th | the fourth |
| 5th | the fifth |
| 21st | the twenty-first |
💡 How to say a date
In American English, the month comes first. We write May 3 (or 5/3), and we say:
- "May third" or "May the third" (month first — American English)
Notice we say "third," even when we write just "May 3." 🗣️
British English puts the day first: it says "the third of May" and writes 3 May or 3/5. Be careful with numbers: 5/3 is May 3 in the US, but 5 March in the UK!
Plans with "Going To"
To talk about your plans and intentions for the future — things you have decided to do — English uses going to. The shape is easy.
am / is / are + going to + base verb
| Subject | be + going to | Full sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I | am going to | I am going to visit my sister. |
| She | is going to | She is going to start a new job. |
| We | are going to | We are going to travel in summer. |
| They | are going to | They are going to move in May. |
To make it negative, add not: "I'm not going to work on Sunday." To make a question, put be first: "Are you going to come?"
💡 The short way: "gonna" (in speech)
When people speak fast, going to often sounds like "gonna." You will hear "I'm gonna call you." This is normal in friendly speaking, but in writing, always write the full going to. Understand "gonna" when you hear it, but write it properly. 🙂
Fixed Arrangements
You already met the present continuous in Lesson 4.2 (am/is/are + verb-ing). Good news: we can also use it for the future — for fixed plans with a time and often another person. This is a fixed arrangement: it is already decided, like an appointment.
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm meeting Sam on Friday. | We already agreed — it's fixed. |
| She's seeing the doctor at 3 o'clock. | The appointment is set. |
| We're having dinner with friends tonight. | Already planned with them. |
✅ Don't worry about the small difference
Going to and the present continuous are very close for future plans. "I'm going to meet Sam" and "I'm meeting Sam" both work. Native speakers use them almost the same way. At A1 level, you can pick either one — you will be understood. As you grow, the small difference becomes clear. For now, just make your plan! 👍
Inviting & Accepting
Now the fun part — inviting a friend! Here are the polite, friendly phrases English speakers use to invite someone and to say yes.
💌 Inviting
- Would you like to go to the movies?
- Do you want to have lunch on Saturday?
- Let's meet at seven.
- Are you free on Friday?
😊 Accepting (saying yes)
- Sure, that sounds great.
- Yes, I'd love to!
- Good idea. See you then.
🙁 Saying no (politely)
- Sorry, I'm busy on Friday. Maybe another day?
- I'd love to, but I can't this weekend.
💡 "Let's" = let us
Let's is a short, friendly way to suggest doing something together. It is short for let us. After Let's, use the plain verb: "Let's go," "Let's meet at six," "Let's have coffee." It is warm and inclusive — it means "you and me together." ☕
Dialogue & Phrases
Here are two friends, Maya and Leo. They arrange to meet. Read both parts out loud. Look for every at, in, on and every plan.
Maya: Hi Leo! Are you free on Saturday?
Leo: On Saturday? Yes, I think so. Why?
Maya: There's a new café in town. Would you like to have lunch?
Leo: Sure, that sounds great! What time?
Maya: Let's meet at one o'clock. I'm going to walk there.
Leo: Perfect. I'm meeting my brother in the morning, but I'm free in the afternoon.
Maya: Great. And it's my birthday on Sunday, so I'm having a small party.
Leo: Happy early birthday! I'd love to come. See you at one on Saturday!
Here are the best phrases from the conversation. Keep them ready for your project.
Practice & Project
🏋️ Exercise 1: at, in, or on?
Objective: Choose the correct preposition of time.
Write at, in, or on in each gap.
- The meeting is 9 o'clock.
- My birthday is July.
- I don't work Sunday.
- We often go out the weekend.
- It is very cold winter.
- The party is May 3.
- I read a book night.
- She gets up early the morning.
✅ Answer
1. at (clock time) · 2. in (month) · 3. on (day) · 4. on (the weekend) · 5. in (season) · 6. on (date) · 7. at (night) · 8. in (part of the day)
🏋️ Exercise 2: Complete the plan with "going to"
Objective: Write the correct form of be (am / is / are) or the word going to complete each plan.
Fill each gap so the plan is correct.
- I going to visit my family in August.
- She is to start a new job on Monday.
- We going to travel in the summer.
- They are going move to a new home in spring.
- He going to call you at seven.
✅ Answer
1. am (I am) · 2. going (is going to) · 3. are (we are) · 4. to (going to move) · 5. is (he is)
🎯 Your Project: Make a Plan
Now make a real plan out loud — with a partner, a teacher, or your phone. You will say 6 or more sentences: invite someone, choose a day and time, and say what you are going to do.
- (3 min) Think of a fun activity: lunch, the movies, a walk in the park, a birthday party.
- (3 min) Write an invitation ("Would you like to…?" "Are you free on…?") and a day and time using at / in / on.
- (3 min) Add two sentences about your plans with going to ("I'm going to bring a cake").
- (3 min) Add a warm way to accept ("Sure, that sounds great!") and say "See you then!"
- (3 min) Say it all out loud. Solo? Record it and listen once. With a partner? Take turns inviting and accepting.
Model answer: "Hi! Are you free on Saturday? There's a new café in town. Would you like to have lunch? Let's meet at one o'clock. I'm going to walk there, so we can go together. In the afternoon, I'm going to do some shopping too. It's my birthday on Sunday, so I'm having a small party. Would you like to come? — Sure, that sounds great! See you then!"
✅ Project Completion Checklist
- ☐ I invited someone (Would you like to…? / Are you free…?)
- ☐ I chose a day and a time using at / in / on
- ☐ I used going to at least twice
- ☐ I accepted warmly (Sure, that sounds great!)
- ☐ I said 6 or more sentences out loud
🎯 Quick Quiz
Question 1: Which sentence is correct?
Question 2: Complete the plan: "She ___ going to visit her family."
Tips & Common Mistakes
✅ Do's
- Use at for clock times, on for days and dates, in for months, seasons, years, and parts of the day.
- Learn the three special ones: at night, on the weekend, in the morning.
- Use going to + base verb for plans (I'm going to travel).
- Invite warmly and accept warmly: "Would you like to…?" "Sure, that sounds great!"
❌ Common Mistakes
⚠️ Watch Out
- "in Monday" ❌ — Days take on. Say on Monday. ✅
- "in night" ❌ — Say at night. ✅ (This one is special!)
- "I going to visit" ❌ — Don't forget be. Say I'm going to visit. ✅
- "I'm going to visiting" ❌ — After going to, use the plain verb. Say going to visit. ✅
- "Let's to go" ❌ — After Let's, use the plain verb, no to. Say Let's go. ✅
📓 Learning Journal
Take five minutes after this lesson to write in your learning journal. After every lesson, write down:
- Key concepts you learned
- Things that clicked for you
- Questions or confusion points to revisit
- Ideas you want to try
- Your progress and feelings about learning English
✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write five sentences about your plans for next week. Use going to, and add a time word (at, in, or on) in each sentence. Then write one invitation to a friend. Read it all out loud. What are you looking forward to, and how does it feel to plan it in English? 🌟
📝 Lesson Summary
🎓 Key Takeaways
- at = clock times & night; in = parts of the day, months, seasons, years; on = days, dates & the weekend.
- Special cases to learn: at night, on the weekend, in the morning/afternoon/evening.
- Dates use ordinals: we say "May third" or "May the third" (British English: "the third of May").
- Going to + base verb = plans and intentions (I'm going to visit my sister).
- The present continuous can also show fixed future arrangements (I'm meeting Sam on Friday).
- Invite with "Would you like to…?" and "Let's…"; accept with "Sure, that sounds great."
🎉 What You've Accomplished
You can now make plans in English! You can say when something happens, name months and seasons, say dates, and talk about the future with going to. Best of all, you can invite a friend and answer warmly. This is real, social English — the kind you use to build a life with people around you. That is a wonderful thing to be able to do. Be proud. 🎉
❓ Common Questions at This Stage
How do I remember when to use at, in, and on?
Think big to small: in for the biggest, long times (months, seasons, years, parts of the day), on for one day, and at for an exact clock time. Then just learn the three special ones (at night, on the weekend, in the morning). Saying examples out loud helps most.
What's the difference between "going to" and "will"?
Going to is for plans you have already decided ("I'm going to visit my sister"). Will is often for decisions you make right now, or promises. At A1, focus on going to for plans. You will learn will more later — one step at a time!
Is "I'm meeting Sam on Friday" future or now?
It is the future! We use the present continuous (am/is/are + -ing) for fixed future plans, especially with another person and a time. The time word (on Friday) tells the listener it is future, not "right now."
🔭 Looking Ahead
In Lesson 7.1, we talk about food and drink. You will learn the words some and any for things you can and can't count, so you can talk about meals, shopping, and what's in your kitchen.
✅ Before the Next Lesson
- Say five sentences about your week using at, in, and on.
- Say your birthday date out loud two ways: the American way ("May third") and the British way ("the third of May").
- Invite a friend to do something, and practice accepting.
- Write your Learning Journal entry.
🌟 Encouragement for the Journey
You just learned to plan your life in English — to pick a day, a time, and a friend, and to say yes with a smile. This is some of the most useful English there is. Keep making plans out loud, and don't worry about small mistakes with at, in, on — even good speakers pause on those! See you in Lesson 7.1! 👋