引言
在英语学习中，很多同学对“on the afternoon”和“in the afternoon”的使用感到困惑。
它们都表示“在下午”，但适用场景不同。本文将为你清晰讲解两者的区别与正确用法。
in the afternoon：泛指某一天的下午
当我们泛指“每天下午”或“某个未具体说明日期的下午”时，使用 in the afternoon。
例如：
- I usually take a walk
in the afternoon. - She likes to read books
in the afternoon.
on the afternoon：特指某一天的具体下午
当提到具体某一天（如某月某日、星期几、节日等）的下午时，应使用 on the afternoon。
例如：
- We had a meeting
on the afternoon of June 5th. - He arrived
on the afternoon of Christmas Day. On the afternoon of Monday, we visited the museum.
总结对比
| 表达方式 | 使用场景 |
|---|---|
in the afternoon |
泛指，不特指某一天 |
on the afternoon (of...) |
特指某一天的下午 |
常见错误提醒
❌ 错误：On the afternoon, I went shopping.（未指明哪一天）
✅ 正确：In the afternoon, I went shopping.
❌ 错误：In the afternoon of July 10th, we left.
✅ 正确：On the afternoon of July 10th, we left.