Here's a breakdown:
What they do:
* Show location: "The book is on the table." (Where is the book?)
* Show direction: "I walked towards the store." (Where did you go?)
* Show time: "We met at 7 pm." (When did you meet?)
* Show manner: "He did it with enthusiasm." (How did he do it?)
Common examples:
* Location: on, in, under, above, below, beside, near, behind, between
* Direction: to, towards, from, into, out of, through
* Time: at, on, in, before, after, during, since, until
* Manner: with, by, without, for, against
Prepositional Phrases:
Prepositions often form a phrase with their object, called a prepositional phrase. For example:
* "The cat sat on the mat." (The prepositional phrase is "on the mat.")
* "I went to the store." (The prepositional phrase is "to the store.")
Important Note: Prepositions are tricky! There are a lot of them and they can be used in many different ways. Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it.