List of prepositions with common case uses
Fluent Russian: Avoid These Common Grammar Mistakes: List of prepositions with common case uses
Here is a list of common English prepositions with their typical uses related to time, place, direction, and other common cases:
| Preposition | Common Case Uses | Example |
|---|---|---|
| at | Exact time, location, age | at 3pm, at the station, at age 21 |
| in | Enclosed space, time period (months, years, durations) | in the garage, in November, in 1992 |
| on | Surface position, days, dates | on the table, on Monday, on December 4th |
| by | Close to, deadline time | by the school, by sundown |
| for | Duration of time | for 2 hours |
| from | Origin, starting point in time or place | from Paris, from 1pm to 3pm |
| to | Direction, end point in time | to the mall, from 7 to 9 |
| during | Within a time period | during the night |
| until | Up to a point in time | until sunset |
| with | Accompaniment | with a friend |
| about | Concerning a topic | talk about the book |
| between | Position in the middle of two things | between the two houses |
| among | Surrounded by more than two things | among friends |
| through | Movement in or across an enclosed place | through the tunnel |
| over | Higher than or covering | over the hill, over the blanket |
| under | Lower than | under the table |
| above | Higher than | above the door |
These prepositions often correspond to cases in languages with grammatical cases, such as German. For example:
- Accusative case with prepositions indicating movement toward a destination (e.g., into, onto, to).
- Dative case with prepositions indicating location without movement (e.g., in, on, at).
- Genitive case with certain prepositions that denote possession or part of something (more common in German).
This list summarizes common prepositions with examples of their typical uses by case or function in English and gives a brief note on cases in other languages like German for context. 5, 6, 7, [10]