“In the beginning” or “at the beginning”?
- There seems to be no strict rule
- “At the beginning” is often used to refer to the actual point when something starts. In this case it is usually used with “of”.
For example: “At the beginning of the story the woman is in her office.” “At the beginning of the day I clean my teeth”.
- “In the beginning” often means “at first”.
For example: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
- “In the beginning” cannot usually be followed by “of”.
- So, if you don’t need “of”, you can often choose either “in the beginning” or “at the beginning”.
- For example: “In the beginning I didn’t understand him” OR “At the beginning I didn’t understand him”.
But really it is a matter of choosing which one sounds better!
