1. Location:
* Prepositions often indicate location or position in space:
* *on* the table
* *in* the box
* *under* the chair
* *behind* the door
2. Time:
* Prepositions can also indicate time:
* *before* the meeting
* *during* the summer
* *after* lunch
* *by* tomorrow
3. Movement:
* Prepositions often express movement or direction:
* *towards* the sun
* *across* the street
* *through* the forest
4. Relationship:
* Prepositions can indicate relationships between things:
* *with* my friends
* *without* any doubt
* *according to* the plan
* *despite* the rain
5. Common Prepositions:
* There are a number of common prepositions you should be familiar with:
* about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, near, of, off, on, over, past, through, to, towards, under, until, up, upon, with, within, without
Important Note:
* Not all words that come before nouns or pronouns are prepositions. Conjunctions can sometimes appear before nouns, but they are not prepositions. For example, "The car was but a small one" - but is a conjunction, not a preposition.
By paying attention to the context and the relationship the word is expressing, you can usually identify prepositions.