We always were told that you could use the word in before a place which is a large space e.g. country/city etc. Whereas, before a smaller site or place you should use at. But actually I don’t know what the precise scope limitation between those two words is. Large? How large is large? Small? How small?
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1In is for 3-dimensional spaces, and metaphorically for any container (like minds, books, and text). On is for 2-dimensional surfaces, and metaphorically for anything flat (like pages and text). At is for locations, often on a 2-dimensional grid, and metaphorically for any exact point in a stream. As pointed out here. These metaphorize into time words of differing sizes as well: in May, on the 24th, at 10:53. – John Lawler May 22 '14 at 20:12
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@JohnLawler Always remembering that we are talking prepositions here and there are some very distinctive differences between American and British usage. Though all the ones you have used above are common to both. But 'on the week-end', or 'on Bond Street', would give away your origin immediately. – WS2 May 22 '14 at 20:27
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1Related: 'At' and 'in' for cities; “At” vs. “in” followed by a city name; “Arrive at” vs. “arrive in”?; Arrive at or in?; Is it correct to say “We will be arriving into <station>”?; In versus on the outskirts; Difference between “at” and “in” when specifying location – choster May 22 '14 at 20:30
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@WS2: Unless Bond Street's being used metaphorically -- which would certainly be lost on Americans -- those phrases would pass unnoticed in the US, as long as they weren't pronounced in RP. Weekend normally isn't hyphenated here, but (a) hyphens are inaudible, and (b) English hyphenization usage is notably chaotic in practice, so nothing more is to be expected. – John Lawler May 22 '14 at 20:32
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1Possible duplicate of Semantics of "on" versus "in" – Helmar Sep 18 '16 at 19:56
At is used to talk about the position at a point.
Examples:
It's very hot at the center of the Earth.
Turn right at the next traffic light.
Sometimes we use at with a large place when we consider it as a point that exists on a journey, as a meeting-place, or as the place where something happens:
You have to change trains at Didcot.
Let's meet at the station.
In is used for position in a three-dimensional space (when something is surrounded on all sides):
I don’t think he is in his office.
Let's go for a walk in the woods.
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1However, it is correct to say "I'm in New York", or "I'm in the Sahara desert", referring to these places in two dimensions, not three. – Reversed Engineer Aug 29 '14 at 8:18
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I don't understand when "In" should be used in regard to places..coz there is always no reason for "In" to be used in 3D space..because as @DaveBoltman says, its correct to say some cities or countries, like "I live in India", "I'm in Mumbai right now". – Lucky Apr 22 '15 at 12:42
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got clarified by looking into this answer english.stackexchange.com/a/87310/36028 In is used for a general location and at is used for a more precise location.. – Lucky Apr 22 '15 at 12:47
