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Quizzes > English & Grammar

Born in or on? The Right Preposition for Dates

Quick, free quiz to test 'born on or in' - instant results and clear examples.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Cassaundra HillmanUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
paper art style icons of birthday cake calendar map pin and quiz text born in vs born on grammar on golden yellow background

This quiz helps you choose between born in or on for years, months, and exact dates. Answer quick questions, get instant feedback, and learn why each option fits. If you want more practice, try our preposition quiz, tackle a fill in the correct preposition exercise, or take a preposition practice quiz.

She was born ___ 1995.
since 1995
on 1995
in 1995
at 1995
We use "in" for years when talking about someone's birth year. "On" is used for specific days and "at" for times. "Since" indicates a starting point in time and is not used for birth dates. .
He was born ___ July.
at July
by July
in July
on July
Months take the preposition "in" in English date expressions. We don't say "on July" or "at July." "By July" indicates a deadline rather than a birth date. .
They were born ___ winter.
on winter
at winter
in winter
during winter
Seasons use "in" as their preposition. "On" and "at" are not used for seasons, and while "during winter" is grammatically correct in general, it's not the standard for stating a birth season. .
I was born ___ Monday.
in Monday
by Monday
at Monday
on Monday
Days of the week always take "on." We say "on Monday." "In Monday" and "at Monday" are incorrect, and "by Monday" refers to a deadline. .
My sister was born ___ January 12th.
at January 12th
in January 12th
on January 12th
by January 12th
Specific dates require "on." We say "on January 12th." "In" and "at" are incorrect for full dates, and "by" indicates a deadline. .
He was born ___ the 21st of April.
in the 21st of April
by the 21st of April
on the 21st of April
at the 21st of April
When using the "the…of…" format for dates, we still use "on." "On the 21st of April" is correct. .
She was born ___ the 21st century.
on the 21st century
in the 21st century
by the 21st century
at the 21st century
Centuries use "in" when talking about when someone lived or was born. "On" and "at" are not used with centuries. .
Babies born ___ spring often enjoy mild weather.
in spring
during spring
at spring
on spring
We say "in spring" to indicate the season someone was born in. "On" and "at" are incorrect prepositions for seasons. .
The twins were born ___ August 8th.
on August 8th
in August 8th
at August 8th
by August 8th
Full calendar dates require "on." We say "on August 8th." .
My grandfather was born ___ the 1940s.
in the 1940s
at the 1940s
during the 1940s
on the 1940s
Decades use "in." We say "in the 1940s." .
Our pet was born ___ St. Patrick's Day.
in St. Patrick's Day
during St. Patrick's Day
on St. Patrick's Day
at St. Patrick's Day
Holidays and named days use "on." We say "on St. Patrick's Day." .
The CEO was born ___ 2nd February.
at 2nd February
in 2nd February
on 2nd February
by 2nd February
Specific dates take "on." We say "on 2nd February." .
The festival child was born ___ Easter.
on Easter
during Easter
at Easter
in Easter
Named days like Easter use "on." We say "on Easter." .
She was born ___ the late 1980s.
at the late 1980s
in the late 1980s
on the late 1980s
during the late 1980s
We use "in" with decades even when modified by "early," "mid," or "late." .
He was born ___ early March.
at early March
in early March
around early March
on early March
When referencing a part of a month, such as early March, we use "in." .
My heroine was born ___ Leap Day, February 29.
in Leap Day, February 29
at Leap Day, February 29
by Leap Day, February 29
on Leap Day, February 29
Full dates and named special days (Leap Day) use "on." .
He was born ___ the spring equinox.
during the spring equinox
at the spring equinox
on the spring equinox
in the spring equinox
Astronomical events with specific dates like equinoxes take "on." .
She was born ___ mid-July.
during mid-July
on mid-July
at mid-July
in mid-July
Phrases like early, mid, or late + month use "in." .
He was born ___ the first day of school.
during the first day of school
at the first day of school
on the first day of school
in the first day of school
"The first day of X" is treated as a specific day, so we use "on." .
They were born ___ the season of love.
on the season of love
in the season of love
at the season of love
during the season of love
Metaphorical or poetic seasons still use "in" as a general time period. .
They were born ___ the summer of 1969.
on the summer of 1969
during the summer of 1969
at the summer of 1969
in the summer of 1969
We use "in" for broader periods like "the summer of [year]." .
He claims he was born ___ Christmas Eve.
at Christmas Eve
in Christmas Eve
on Christmas Eve
during Christmas Eve
Named calendar days, even those with "Eve," use "on." .
My aunt was born ___ New Year's Day.
at New Year's Day
on New Year's Day
in New Year's Day
during New Year's Day
Again, specific holidays use "on." We say "on New Year's Day." .
She was born ___ the eve of World War II.
at the eve of World War II
during the eve of World War II
on the eve of World War II
in the eve of World War II
We treat "the eve of [event]" as a specific day, so the correct preposition is "on." .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Differentiate date prepositions -

    Understand the core rules behind using "born in" for broader time frames versus "born on" for specific dates, enabling you to master date prepositions instantly.

  2. Apply "born in" correctly -

    Learn to use "born in" when referring to years, months, seasons, and centuries, reinforcing accurate grammar in statements like "I was born in July."

  3. Apply "born on" correctly -

    Practice using "born on" for precise days and dates, such as "I was born on July 15th," to make your English more precise and confident.

  4. Identify common errors -

    Analyze typical mistakes learners make with "born on or born in" and discover strategies to avoid these pitfalls in your own writing and speech.

  5. Construct accurate birth statements -

    Build clear, grammatically sound sentences using "I was born on" and "I was born in," ensuring your date-based expressions are always correct.

  6. Enhance overall date precision -

    Improve your general use of date prepositions beyond birth contexts, boosting your confidence in a variety of English communication settings.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Time Span vs Specific Date -

    Cambridge Dictionary explains that "born in" is used for years, months, decades, and centuries (e.g., "I was born in 1990," "She was born in October"). In contrast, "born on" applies to specific days and dates, like "I was born on April 5th" or "He was born on Monday." This rule will guide you through any "born in or on" or "born on or in" question effortlessly.

  2. Broad vs Precise Time Frames -

    According to the University of Oxford's writing resources, "born in" covers broad timeframes such as centuries and seasons (e.g., "Anna was born in the 18th century" or "He was born in summer"). Meanwhile, "born on" is reserved for pinpointing exact days, like "I was born on July 4th." Practicing both forms ensures you never hesitate when choosing between "born in or on."

  3. Special Dates and Holidays -

    Oxford Learner's Dictionary notes that landmark days - holidays and festivals - always take "born on," for example, "She was born on Christmas Day." Even when sharing your birthday with a public holiday ("I was born on New Year's Eve"), "on" remains the correct choice. This simple rule will keep you confident in quizzes and everyday conversation.

  4. Memory Trick: "In" is Expansive, "On" is Exact -

    Use the simple mnemonic "In is expansive, On is pinpoint" to remember that "born in" spans longer periods while "born on" refers to precise moments. This quick phrase is endorsed by language educators at Purdue OWL as an effective study aid. Repeat it before answering "born in or on" questions to boost your recall under pressure.

  5. Common Pitfalls and Practice -

    Purdue University's OWL resource highlights that mixing up "I was born on November" vs. "I was born in November" is a frequent error; the correct form is "I was born in November." Additionally, remember "born at" is used for times ("She was born at 3 PM"). Regular practice with quizzes and sample sentences will solidify your command of "born in or on."

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