at
part of speech
preposition; noun (@, the at sign in emails and posts)
meaning for a pupil
1) At shows where something is: at the shop, at school. tree →
2) At shows when: at noon, at the start. tree →
3) At shows what you look, point or aim towards: look at the board. tree →
4) At gives a price or a speed: at 5 dollars each, at 60 km an hour. tree →
5) At shows how well someone does something: good at maths. tree →
6) (casual) «Where it's at» means where the fun or the action is; «Where are you at?» asks how far you have got. tree →
7) (rough) «Shout at», «have a go at» or «be at someone» means to tell them off or nag them angrily. tree →
8) (formal) The exam voice says «at a rate of», «at a cost of», «at the commencement», «at the conclusion». tree →
9) After a word like "not", "at all" means in any way or to any degree. tree →
sense in the lessons
«look at the word», «at the start» (the starting amount), «at the end» (the final amount), «at the shop»; in everyday life «at home», «at night», «at last», «at once», «at least», «at all», «good at maths»; prices «at 2 dollars each» point to multiplying; online «@» in an address or before a name; in rough talk «stop having a go at me»; in the exam voice «at a unit cost of», «at the commencement of the period»
examples
- And I besought the LORD at that time, saying: (Torah DEU.3.23, JPS 1917) tree →
- From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed unto Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth. (Torah NUM.11.35, JPS 1917) tree →
- At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. (Torah DEU.15.1, JPS 1917) tree →
- And they went out at noon. (Prophets 1KI.20.16, JPS 1917) tree →
- Why did I not perish at birth? (Writings JOB.3.11, JPS 1917) tree →
- Is a nation brought forth at once? (Prophets ISA.66.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- Not quite. Look at the word «equal»: it tells us to divide. tree →
- At the start Ken had 12 stamps. tree →
- At the shop Mia buys 3 pens. tree →
- We have lunch at twelve o'clock. tree →
- Look at the bird on the fence! tree →
- She is very good at swimming. tree →
- Pencils are sold at 50 cents each. tree →
- At last the bus arrived. tree →
- At least 3 people must play this game. tree →
- at the shops rn, need anything tree →
- Stop having a go at me, I counted them twice! tree →
- At the commencement of the journey a vehicle contained 30 passengers, at a fare of 2 dollars each. tree →
- "He isn't a rabbit at all! tree →
note
No operation clue; «at the start» marks the starting amount. Trap: «at the end» asks for the amount after all the changes. «3 pens at 50 cents each» hides equal groups: 3 × 50; «at a unit cost of» means the same in an exam. «at least 3» means 3 or more; «at most 3» means 3 or fewer. Use «at» for a point (at the door, at 3 o'clock), «in» for inside or longer times (in the box, in July). «at the commencement» means at the start.
In the corpora
- And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.
- And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.
- But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.'
- At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.'
- And they said: 'We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.'
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «at» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.