18 Dec to arrive

This is a verb which is often misused by Spanish-speaking students of English. Most students tend to translate the Spanish structure “llegar a” to English and this is why they say “arrive to a place”. They even doubt about the verity of what you are saying when you explain to them that it’s not “arrive to” but “arrive at” or “arrive in”.

So, what is the difference between “arrive in” and “arrive at”?

ARRIVE AT + specific place, point (the cinema, home, the airport, the station, etc.)

ARRIVE IN + a larger area (a city, a country, a region, etc.)

Exceptions: arrive home (no preposition is needed)

Here’s an exercise for you to practise:

1. After a two-day journey, we’ve finally arrived ……. New York.
2. I’m sorry for arriving late ……. the party.
3. I arrived ……. home from the cinema.
4. What time does he arrive ….. the airport?
5. I usually arrive ……. work before 8 AM.