on last night

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "on last night" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression is "last night" without the preposition "on." Example: "We had a great time at the party last night."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Apparently, there was some other rugby game going on last night, in Paris.

The Guardian - Sport

"I tied one on last night," he says, "I drank too much".

The Guardian - Film

"Tied one on last night," the comedian said Friday in a statement obtained by Show Tracker.

Los Angeles Times

"Tied one on last night," Lopez said in a press statement after his arrest.

Huffington Post

"Every single one of those cops was supposed to have their body cams on last night," a protesters tweeted.

Vice

On Sunday afternoon a friend said to me – "there were all these amazing MLS games on last night, and we were stuck watching Revs-Chivas, the worst one".

The Guardian - Sport

"It was on last night.

The New York Times

"I didn't have to sleep with my shoes on last night," said Sebageni.

Independent

As expected, I had very little idea what was going on last night.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

There has been quite a bit of talk about Hearst's Skiff ereader and we got a hands-on last night before the show closed.

TechCrunch

Comments will be turned on this morning.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the night before, use simply "last night". For example, instead of "The concert on last night was amazing", write "The concert last night was amazing".

Common error

Avoid using the preposition "on" before "last night". The phrase "last night" already indicates a specific time, making "on" redundant. The correction to use is "last night".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on last night" functions as an adverbial phrase attempting to specify a time. However, it's grammatically incorrect; the correct form is simply "last night". Ludwig AI flags it as incorrect, advising against its use.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "on last night" appears frequently, it is grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the correct way to refer to the previous night is simply "last night", without the preposition "on". Although its high frequency might suggest widespread use, it's advisable to avoid it in formal and professional writing. Instead, opt for the correct phrase "last night" or alternatives such as "the previous night" to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity. The phrase is mostly used in "News & Media". Remember to avoid using "on" before "last night".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

last evening

Omits "on", which corrects the grammar, and uses 'evening' instead of 'night'.

yesterday evening

Replaces 'night' with 'evening' to emphasize the latter part of the day.

the night before

Uses a more descriptive way to refer to the previous night.

the previous evening

More formal phrasing using 'previous' instead of 'last'.

the prior night

Employs 'prior' to denote the night immediately preceding the present.

in the evening yesterday

Reorders the phrase to highlight the time of day.

during yesterday's night

Adds 'during' to specify a period within the previous night.

the other night

Refers to a recent night, but not necessarily the immediately preceding one.

the night that passed

A more poetic or dramatic way to reference the previous night.

the completed night

Focuses on the night as a finished period.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "on last night"?

No, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct way to refer to the previous night is simply "last night" without the preposition "on".

What is the difference between "last night" and "on last night"?

While "last night" is the standard and grammatically correct way to refer to the night before, "on last night" includes an unnecessary preposition and is considered incorrect in standard English.

How can I use "last night" in a sentence?

You can use "last night" in sentences like: "I had a great dream "last night"", or "What did you do "last night"?".

Are there any other ways to refer to the previous night?

Yes, you can also use phrases like "the previous night" or "yesterday evening" to refer to the night before, although "last night" is the most common and straightforward option.