Here's a breakdown:
1. Location:
* On: The book is on the table.
* In: The cat is in the box.
* Under: The ball is under the bed.
* Behind: The dog is behind the door.
2. Time:
* At: I'll meet you at 3 pm.
* Before: Arrive before 5 pm.
* After: I'll call you after dinner.
* During: The phone rang during the meeting.
3. Direction:
* To: I'm going to the store.
* From: I came from the library.
* Through: We walked through the park.
* Across: The bridge goes across the river.
4. Manner:
* By: I traveled by train.
* With: He did it with great care.
* Without: She went without her coat.
* For: I bought this present for you.
5. Other Relationships:
* Of: This is a book of poems.
* About: I heard a story about a dragon.
* According to: According to the weather forecast, it will rain.
* Despite: Despite the rain, we had a good time.
Examples:
* The cat sat on the mat. (Location)
* We went to the beach yesterday. (Time and direction)
* She arrived at the party with a smile. (Time and manner)
* He ran through the forest without a map. (Direction and manner)
* I am interested in learning more about the history of this city. (Relationship)
In short, prepositions are crucial for building clear and understandable sentences by providing context and relationships between words.