On a weekend or at the weekend.

[GoodDay]

Hello everyone,

I've always thought that we use "at" with a/the weekend in English.

Please see the attached scan of the answers in the English Vocabulary in Use - Elementary.

Exercise 16.6, the second line:

--> on a weekend.


Is it a mistake?

Thank you.

[learning54]

Hi GoodDay,
May I know how you did the Attached Thumbnails please?

Thanks in advance
L54

[TheParser]

--> on a weekend.


Is it a mistake?

Thank you.

NOT A TEACHER


(1) No, it is NOT a mistake!

(2) In the United States of America, people say "on the weekend."

(3) Our British friends prefer "at."

[GoodDay]

Hi GoodDay,
May I know how you did the Attached Thumbnails please?

Thanks in advance
L54

After you Reply to Thread go to Additional Options and click Manage Attachments in Attach Files field.

Or when you write a Quick Reply you can find the icon with the mountains on it to insert an image.

[learning54]

Hi GoodDay,
Thank you so much for your explanation.

L54

[GoodDay]

NOT A TEACHER


(1) No, it is NOT a mistake!

(2) In the United States of America, people say "on the weekend."

(3) Our British friends prefer "at."

Thank you for your reply.

I was confused because it stated in the book that we should use "at" with weekend(s) and did not mention anything about american "on".

However, after I completed the exercises I checked with the answers and the only correct answer was "on".

Please see the attached scan.

Thank you.

[Barb_D]

It's mystifying that a book that gave the BrE "at the weekend" would have a test question that read with the American "on the weekend." The only thing that could explain it is that the text was written by a BrE speaker and the questions by an American.

This is not one of the Am/Br differences most American are aware of, I think. The first time I saw "at the weekend" in an ESL forum, I "corrected" it, not knowing it was correct elsewhere.

[Raymott]

It's mystifying that a book that gave the BrE "at the weekend" would have a test question that read with the American "on the weekend." The only thing that could explain it is that the text was written by a BrE speaker and the questions by an American.

Or the whole thing by an Australian, who would typically use both constructions about equally. But then, he would still be inconsistant.

In any case, "we" (English speakers) do say "at the weekend", so the text is right. And we do say "on the weekend", so the answer is right.
Does the book say anywhere that either form is wrong? It's important to note that saying that one form is right doesn't imply that an alternative is necessarily wrong.

[GoodDay]

I thank everyone for your replies.

I'm inclined to believe that the book was written by different authors as stated by Barb_D.

The book didn't say "on" was a wrong form to use but it didn't mention it at all.


Thank you.