“Next Week” – Easy Preposition Guide (Helpful Examples)

While “next week” is a decent phrase to use on its own, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to use it. This article will explore all the prepositions that we might be able to use alongside “next week” and how each one might change the meaning.

Which Preposition Can Be Used With “Next Week”?

“For the next week” is the most common preposition we can use with “next week.” It shows that we are doing something for the whole duration of the week. Depending on the context, we might also use “in the next week” or “during the next week.”

There are only three genuinely correct prepositions we can use with “next week.” Some people believe there are other suitable ones like “on the next week” or “at the next week,” but these are no good to us.

We can only use “for,” “in,” or “during” to share the time frame we are using. Each preposition changes the meaning slightly, and it’s useful to know how this is done before we misuse any of them.

For starters, you can see how the context is important for meaning here:

• I’ll be on vacation for the next week.
• I’ll be on vacation in the next week.
• I’ll be on vacation during the next week.

Each of the above sentences means something different from the last. However, the overall sentence contains all the same words. It’s only the preposition that differs.

We’ll explain more about why each one means different things as we go through the article. Prepositions are much more powerful than you might have realized when it comes to changing definitions.

How Prevalent Is The Use Of The Difference Prepositions?

Before we explain any meanings, we thought it would help to look at some statistics. We’ll show you which prepositions are most commonly used with “next week.” That way, you’ll better understand which ones work for which situations.

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “for the next week” is by far the most popular preposition choice with “next week.” That’s because it’s the most common context for people to use when they’re away for a full week.

“In the next week” is the next most popular choice, with “during the next week” a little less popular beneath that.

You might also notice that “at the next week” and “on the next week” are in this graph. We thought it best to include them so you can see that they’re not correct.

They don’t see much usage because there are no legitimate ways to bring them into a sentence with proper meaning. You need to make sure you remember this before trying to use either “on” or “at.”

Examples Of How To Use “Next Week” Without A Preposition In A Sentence

Now let’s look into the different prepositions a little more. However, before we do that, we wanted also to show you how “next week” works without any prepositions.

1. I’m going to see my mother next week.
2. Next week, I’ll make sure that I’m the one who brings in the donuts.
3. You won’t be here next week if you keep up with that attitude!
4. Don’t forget that I asked for your homework to be in next week.
5. Next week can’t come soon enough because I really hate this week!

“Next week” is correct without a preposition when generally talking about the coming week. We can use this to show a general deadline or expectation for when something might come to an end.

“Next week” doesn’t specify any amount of time or days. “Next week” on a Monday means a full seven days would pass, but “next week” on the weekend could only mean one or two days would pass.

Examples Of How To Use “For The Next Week” In A Sentence

The most useful preposition for us is “for the next week.” These examples will help you to understand how we use it.

1. I will be out of the office for the next week, so please divert my calls.
2. You are on holiday for the next week, aren’t you?
3. I will be away for the next week. Sorry, I can’t be of more help.
4. He isn’t going to be here for the next week, but I’ll be happy to help.
5. I have been told that he’s on vacation for the next week. That’s ages to wait!

“For the next week” works to talk about a full week of time. It usually refers to seven full days when someone has something to do (usually when they’re otherwise occupied or unable to complete the usually expected quota).

“For the next week” is much more specific than “next week.” It almost always refers to the full length of a week, giving us a valid number of days before we can expect to see the person we want.

Examples Of How To Use “In The Next Week” In A Sentence

“In the next week” works in a slightly different way to “for.”

1. In the next week, you’ll probably hear back from them.
2. I should be getting a letter in the next week or so.
3. She will write to you in the next week, but I don’t know when.
4. I’m going to that place in the next week, but it’s supposed to be a surprise.
5. I’m taking you all there in the next week, once I get my affairs in order.

“In the next week” is an announcement that we can make about something happening at some point in the next week. However, there is currently no way to guarantee what day or time that thing might happen, and it may be likely that it won’t happen at all.

“In the next week” is a little more general than “for the next week.” We mostly use it to give an idea of when something will happen, even if we don’t have the exact time or date for it ourselves.

Examples Of How To Use “During The Next Week” In A Sentence

Finally, let’s look at the least popular (but still correct) preposition, “during.”

1. During the next week, I want you to get all of your homework done.
2. We need to find out where they live during the next week.
3. I have a lot of work to do during the next week.
4. I want this project completed during the next week.
5. During the next week, I expect you to have fixed this issue.

“During the next week” is very similar to “in the next week.” It refers to a general time “next week” that something needs to happen by. However, “during the next week” usually comes with an expected end, where something must be completed by the end of the week’s full length.

Also, many people use “during the next week” to set a deadline that starts from the moment they say it. While “in the next week” refers to one day, “during the next week” refers to all the days left until the next week comes along.

Should I Use “Next Week” Or “The Next Week”?

We can find cases to use both “next week” and “the next week” in our writing. Including “the” isn’t always necessary. But, we still need to know when to use it.

“Next week” works when specifically referencing the week that falls in the next seven days. “The next week” only works when you’re referring to multiple “weeks” at a time, as we use “the” when the period of time after “next” is plural.

To help you understand what we mean by this, you can refer to the following:

• This homework is due next week.
• I have set you this task for the next two weeks.

As you can see, “next week” is most common when using only one “week.” In the singular form, there is no reason to include “the” as an article.

However, when we bring “weeks” into the plural form, we have to include “the” when we’re showing that something will happen over a longer period of time than just one “week.”

Is It “This Week Or Next” Or “This Or Next Week”?

It might also help to know a few other phrases related to next week. One of the most common ones is “this week or next.”

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “this week or next” is the only correct variation. While it has historically seen some use, “this or next week” is almost never used today because it confuses the sentence order.

When we’re trying to say that something might happen “now or later,” we have to make sure that we completely finish the phrase “now” before moving on to the next one.

Since “now” in this case is “this week,” we cannot split up the phrase like we would with “this or next week.” Also, since “this week” already states that a “week” is present, we don’t need to include “week” again after “next” because it’s already provided in the context.

• Correct: This week or next
• Incorrect: This or next week
• Incorrect: This week or next week

What Does “In The Next Week Or So” Mean?

“In the next week or so” is a statement we make to show that something may happen at some point in the next week, but it also might take longer. We use it when we don’t have many indications of when something will happen, but we expect it fairly soon.

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Mid Next Week vs. Midweek – What’s the Difference?
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“In The Week” Or “On The Week”? Correct Version Explained
Which is Correct: “Next Time” or “The Next Time”?