Remember that the combination of a preposition and a noun acts the same way as an adverb, which gives more description to how, when, where, or why something happens:
Preposition + Noun = Adverb
The adverbs in this lesson are created by combining the preposition “in” with a noun.
1. In advance
When something happens “in advance”, it means that it happens before another situation.
For example, if you pay for tickets in advance, it means that you paid for the tickets before the day of the event.
Instead of checking in for your flight when you arrive at the airport, you can do the check-in process in advance from your home.
2. In general
When something is done “in general”, it means that only the main points are described.
For example, if you read a short summary of a movie, you can say that you know what happens in the movie in general, because you know the main points but not every specific event.
When we met with our wedding planner, she wanted to know a little about what kind of wedding we wanted, so we described our wedding vision in general.
3. In detail
When something is done “in detail”, it means it includes specific details, which is the opposite of “in general” above.
For example, if a journalist asks a lawyer to talk about an ongoing trial, the lawyer might say that he cannot discuss the case in detail, which means he cannot give specific information about it.
During his appointment with the doctor, he had to explain his symptoms in detail so that the doctor could fully understand what the problem was.
4. In addition
When you are adding a new point to support the previous information given, you can use “in addition”, which is the same as “additionally”.
For example, if you bought a house and then you want to add a point about buying a car, you can say that you bought a house and in addition, you bought a car.
The store sells handmade crafts that you can use to decorate your home. In addition, the store has workshops to teach you how to make some homemade crafts yourself.
5. In the beginning
When you want to contrast the earlier part of a situation with the later part of that same situation, you can use “in the beginning” to focus on the earlier part.
For example, if you started skiing three years ago and you were bad at skiing at that earlier time, you can say: “in the beginning, I wasn’t very good at skiing, but now I’m better.”
In the beginning, I didn’t like my manager at work because I thought she was unfriendly, but then I realized she’s just serious about her job. I like her more now.
6. In the end
When you want to describe the final result of a situation, you can use “in the end”.
For example, if your favorite team was losing a soccer game but later in the game they scored more goals and won the game (the final result), you can say that in the end, they won the game.
I was really nervous about the test and studied for it for two weeks. I thought I was going to fail, but in the end I got an 80% score.
7. In case
When you want to say that there is a risk of something happening, you can reference that risk at the end of a clause by saying “in case”.
For example, if you talk about the risk of rain while you are walking in the park, you can say that you will bring an umbrella in case, which means “in case of rain” (rain is the risk in this situation).
I think we have enough gas to get to our destination, but I will fill up the gas tank before we leave in case.
8. In time
When something is completed or done before a deadline, it is done “in time”.
For example, if you needed to submit a document by the deadline of Friday at 4pm and you sent it on Friday at 3pm, you can say that you submitted the document in time. If you use “in time” with a verb in negative form (“we didn’t do it in time”) it means you were late.
We wanted to see the fireworks display on the beach, but we didn’t get there in time.
9. In person
When you do something “in person”, it means you do it face-to-face with other people instead of on the computer or on the phone.
For example, if you do a job interview in person, it means you go to a place to speak with the recruiter face-to-face.
I still prefer to do my banking in person at the bank, so I go there every week.
10. In vain
When something is done without any success in the end, you can say it was done in vein.
For example, if a lifeguard tries to save a person in the ocean but they are unsuccessful and the person drowns, you can say that the lifeguard tried to save the person in vain.
We complained to the company in vain, as nothing changed, and we didn’t get our money back.
Practice
in general / in advance / in case / in person / in detail
I think it’ll be a warm evening, but sometimes it can get cold, so you should take a sweater _____________.
You can’t show up to the restaurant anytime that you want. You need to reserve a table ____________.
If I had more time I would explain everything __________, but because we only have ten minutes, I’ll have to describe it ____________.
It’s much easier to understand people when I talk to them ________________ rather than on the phone.
in addition / in the beginning / in vain / in the end / in time
I lived in England for a year. ____________________ I didn’t like the country very much because it was a big culture shock, but __________________, I didn’t want to leave!
We only had three days to complete the project, so we had to work a lot of overtime to get it done ______________.
He was incredibly stubborn and refused to change his perspective on the topic. I spent over an hour arguing with him ________________.
You can rent a small, mid-sized or luxury car. __________________, we have some larger vans and sport-utility vehicles available.
Answers
I think it’ll be a warm evening, but sometimes it can get cold, so you should take a sweater in case.
You can’t show up to the restaurant anytime that you want. You need to reserve a table in advance.
If I had more time I would explain everything in detail, but because we only have ten minutes, I’ll have to describe it in general.
It’s much easier to understand people when I talk to them in person rather than on the phone.
I lived in England for a year. In the beginning, I didn’t like the country very much because it was a big culture shock, but in the end, I didn’t want to leave!
We only had three days to complete the project, so we had to work a lot of overtime to get it done in time.
He was incredibly stubborn and refused to change his perspective on the topic. I spent over an hour arguing with him in vain.
You can rent a small, mid-sized or luxury car. In addition, we have some larger vans and sport-utility vehicles available.
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