How to Use the Phrase "On Thursday" vs. "At Thursday"

"On Thursday" is a prepositional phrase that specifies a particular day of the week, specifically Thursday. It indicates an event or action occurring on that specific day within the context of a sentence or discourse.
"At Thursday" is not a standard English phrase.

🦷 I have a dentist appointment on Thursday afternoon.

❌ I have a dentist appointment at Thursday afternoon.

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When to use on Thursday

There are two main ways to use "on Thursday" in a sentence:

1. Specifying a Single Thursday:

In this case, "on Thursday" refers to a particular upcoming Thursday, usually the one within the current week.
Example: "We have a team meeting on Thursday to discuss the project." (Here, it implies the meeting is happening on the coming Thursday.)
Example (with a date): "Our flight departs on Thursday, March 21st." (This clarifies exactly which Thursday.)

2. Referring to Recurring Thursdays:

Here, "on Thursdays" indicates something that happens habitually on all Thursdays.
Example: "The library has extended hours on Thursdays." (This means extended hours are a regular thing on Thursdays.)
Example: "I usually go for a run on Thursdays." (This suggests it's a part of your weekly routine.)

Here are some additional points to consider:

"Every Thursday" vs. "On Thursdays": While both convey recurrence, "every Thursday" sounds more formal.
Formal: "The history class meets every Thursday at 10 am."
Informal: "We have game night on Thursdays."
"This Thursday" vs. "On Thursday": "This Thursday" emphasizes the specific Thursday of the current week, whereas "on Thursday" is more general about an upcoming Thursday.

Example sentences for "on Thursday"

We have a doctor's appointment scheduled on Thursday morning.
On Thursday, I have to submit my report to my boss.
Are you available for a meeting on Thursday afternoon?
On Thursday, we're going to visit the art museum downtown.
Let's plan a movie night on Thursday with our friends.

Examples from the web

"Opens on Thursday nationwide." - The New York Times

"Sold out on Thursday." - The New York Times - Arts

The use of "on Thursday" vs. "at Thursday"

Examining the graph below, we can see that "on Thursday" is used much more frequently than "at Thursday." Granted, The use of "on Thursday" has been on a downward streak.

FAQs

What is the plural form of "Thursday"?

The plural form of "Thursday" is "Thursdays." This term indicates multiple instances of the day Thursday. For example, "We have meetings every Thursday" refers to meetings occurring on multiple Thursdays, not just one specific instance.

Is there an apostrophe in "Thursdays"?

No, there is no apostrophe in "Thursdays." The word "Thursdays" is a plural noun formed by simply adding the letter "s" to the end of "Thursday." It indicates multiple instances of the day Thursday without possession or contraction.

Summary

In this blog post, we explored the nuances of using "on Thursday" versus "at Thursday" to accurately convey temporal information in English.

How to Use the Phrase "On Thursday" vs. "At Thursday"

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