[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/at.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / at [← A](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/A/) # at «at» in Mova's school dictionary: **At shows where something is: at the shop, at school** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m1) 2) At shows when: at noon, at the start. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m2) 3) At shows what you look, point or aim towards: look at the board. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m3) 4) At gives a price or a speed: at 5 dollars each, at 60 km an hour. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m4) 5) At shows how well someone does something: good at maths. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m5) 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m6) 7) (rough) «Shout at», «have a go at» or «be at someone» means to tell them off or nag them angrily. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m7) 8) (formal) The exam voice says «at a rate of», «at a cost of», «at the commencement», «at the conclusion». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m8) 9) After a word like "not", "at all" means in any way or to any degree. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#m9) ### 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 - Not quite. Look at the word «equal»: it tells us to divide. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x1) - At the start Ken had 12 stamps. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x2) - At the shop Mia buys 3 pens. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x3) - We have lunch at twelve o'clock. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x4) - Look at the bird on the fence! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x5) - She is very good at swimming. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x6) - Pencils are sold at 50 cents each. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x7) - At last the bus arrived. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x8) - At least 3 people must play this game. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x9) - at the shops rn, need anything [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x10) - Stop having a go at me, I counted them twice! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x11) - At the commencement of the journey a vehicle contained 30 passengers, at a fare of 2 dollars each. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x12) - "He isn't a rabbit at all! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/#x13) ### 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 - [Stories about annoying colleagues told at home are private and should not be repeated outside.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/1-a-day-at-a-grown-ups-job/8/) - [Shops, hospitals, buses and factories need people at all hours, so their workers follow a rota that can change every week.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/2-shifts-nights-and-other-ways-of-working/1/) - [Overtime is working extra hours beyond the normal ones; sometimes it is paid at a higher rate, sometimes not paid at all.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/2-shifts-nights-and-other-ways-of-working/8/) - [At the other end of working life comes retirement, when people stop paid work for good.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/3-finding-a-job-and-getting-on/4/) - [Job hunting means searching adverts and sending applications, often dozens before getting anywhere; many get no reply at all.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/3-finding-a-job-and-getting-on/5/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «at» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/at/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.