Prepositions and some classifications

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Prepositions can be used to express a wide range of semantic relations between their 
complement and the rest of the context. The following list is not an exhaustive 
classification: 
PLACE AND POSITION 
 
About, above, across, amid (amidst), 
among (amongst), at, against, be low, 
beneath, beside, between , beyond, by, in, 
on, over, under (underneath), upon, round 
or around, without, behind, up, throughout, 
to, towards, down, from (away from, down 
from, from out, etc.), off, out of, at the back 
of, at the bottom of, at the top of, in the 
corner of, in the middle of, next to, to the 
left of, on the other side of, to the right of, 
on the side of, on top of, opposite, in, 
within, into 
TIME 
 
After, during, pending, till or until; at, 
between, by, about, on, within, etc. 
EXCLUSION OR SEPARATION Besides, but, except, save, without, 
excepting 
OPPOSITION Against 
DIRECTION Across, out of, through, towards, past, 
round, into, onto, up, down, along, to, over. 
SOURCE OR CAUSE Because of, by reason of. 
DURATION For, while, during, since, till, by, between, 
throughout 
AGENCY OR MEANS By 
MEASURE By 
REFERENCE Concerning, respecting, regarding 
MEANS OR INSTRUMENT (DEVICE OR 
MACHINE) 
By bus/train/car/boar, with a stone/ 
confidence/flying colors, through the 
wormhole/manhole 
COMPARISON As, like 
AGENT By, with 
CAUSE OR PURPOSE By, because of heavy rain, on account of 
her experience, for drunk driving, from 
exposure and lack of food, out of duty 
CONTENT (MATERIAL, SUBJECT 
MATTER) 
Of, with 
CONCESSION In spite of, despite 
NOTE: 
1) As prepositions of direction, "at" and "to" are not synonyms. "At" is not common as a 
preposition of direction, and is only used with the meaning of "towards" or "in the 
direction of", and then only in some contexts. Compare these two sentences: 
 I threw the ball to John. I threw a cup at John. 
You can say "I'm going to London next week", but it is impossible to say: "I'm going at 
London next week." 
 
2) Spatial prepositions can be divided into two main classes, namely directional and 
static ones. A directional preposition usually involves motion along a path over time, 
but can also denote a non-temporal path. Examples of directional prepositions include 
to, from, towards, into, along and through. 
 Bob went to the store. (movement over time) 
 A path into the woods. (non-temporal path) 
 
 
 The fog extended from London to Paris. (non-temporal path) 
 Bob is at the store. (non-temporal path) 
 Bob jumped in the water. (movement over time)