Choose the most appropriate option to complete the following sentence:
Your application form must be received in this office____9 am ___the first of March.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → by, on
Prepositions of time:
- By sets a deadline: not later than. The form must reach the office by 9 am.
- On is used with days and dates: on the first of March ("at" goes with clock times, "in" with months and years).
- Complete sentence: Your application form must be received in this office by 9 am on the first of March.
Example: Please submit the project by Friday evening.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: until, in — Incorrect.
- "Until" shows that an action goes on up to a point of time ("wait until 9 am"); it does not set a deadline for one action.
- "In" goes with months and years, not with a date.
Option 3: at, during — Incorrect.
- "At 9 am" names the exact moment, not "no later than".
- "During" means throughout a period and is not used with a single date.
Option 4: since, for — Incorrect. "Since" marks a starting point and "for" a length of time ("since Monday", "for two days"); neither gives a deadline or a date.