https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Categories-of-Prepositions.htm
Most prepositions have multiple usages and meanings. Generally speaking, prepositions can be divided into eight categories: time, place, direction or movement, agency, instrument or device, reason or purpose, connection, and origin. The following table highlights the most common prepositions and their categories*:
|
Category
|
Preposition
|
|---|---|
|
Time
|
at, in, on, for, during, since, by, until, before, after, to, past
|
|
Place
|
at, in, on, by/near/close to, next to/beside, between, behind, in front of, above/over, below/under
|
|
Direction or Movement
|
to, from, over, under, along, around, across, through, into, out of, toward(s), away from, onto, off, up, down
|
|
Agency
|
by, with
|
|
Instrument or Device
|
by, with, on
|
|
Reason or Purpose
|
for, through, because of, on account of, from
|
|
Connection
|
of, to, with
|
|
Origin
|
from, of
|
(*Many prepositions will fall under two or more categories. To determine what type of preposition is being used in a sentence, you must look closely at the context and what is being described.)
