Using prepositions

Prepositions

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.

The word preposition implies place before: hence it would seem that a preposition is always before its object. It may be so in the majority of cases, but in a considerable proportion of instances the preposition is after its object.

This occurs in such cases as the following:— Preposition not before its object.
(1) After a relative pronoun: The most dismal Christmas fun which these eyes ever looked on. —Thackeray.

(2) After an interrogative adverb, adjective, or pronoun: What God doth the wizard pray to? —Hawthorne.

(3) With an infinitive, in such expressions as this:A proper quarrel for a Crusader to do battle in. —Scott.

(4) After a noun,—the case in which the preposition is expected to be, and regularly is, before its object; as: And unseen mermaids' pearly song Comes bubbling up, the weeds among. —Beddoes.

A preposition is a word joined to a noun or its equivalent to make up a qualifying or an adverbial phrase, and to show the relation between its object and the word modified.

Besides nouns, prepositions may have as objects—
(1) Pronouns: "Upon them with the lance;" "With whom I traverse earth."
(2) Adjectives: "On high the winds lift up their voices."
(3) Adverbs: "If I live wholly from within;" "Had it not been for the sea from aft."
(4) Phrases: "Everything came to her from on high;" "From of old they had been zealous worshipers."
(5) Infinitives: "The queen now scarce spoke to him save to convey some necessary command for her service."
(6) Gerunds: "They shrink from inflicting what they threaten;" "He is not content with shining on great occasions."
(7) Clauses:
"Each soldier eye shall brightly turn To where thy sky-born glories burn." Object usually objective case, if noun or pronoun.

Uses of prepositions

Prepositions are used in three ways:

(1) Compounded with verbs, adverbs, or conjunctions; as, for example, with verbs, withdraw, understand, overlook, overtake, overflow, etc.; with adverbs, there at, there in, etc.; with conjunctions, where at, where in, where on, where through, where upon, etc.

(2) Following a verb, and being really a part of the verb. This use needs to be watched closely, to see whether the preposition belongs to the verb or has a separate prepositional function. For example, in the sentences, (a) "He broke a pane from the window," (b) "He broke into the bank," in (a), the verb broke is a predicate, modified by the phrase introduced by from; in (b), the predicate is not broke, modified by into the bank, but broke into—the object, bank.

(3) As relation words, introducing phrases,—the most common use, in which the words have their own proper function.

Prepositions are the subtlest and most useful words in the language for compressing a clear meaning into few words. Each preposition has its proper and general meaning, which, by frequent and exacting use, has expanded and divided into a variety of meanings more or less close to the original one. Take, for example, the word over. It expresses place, with motion, as, "The bird flew over the house;" or rest, as, "Silence broods over the earth." It may also convey the meaning of about, concerning; as, "They quarreled over the booty." Or it may express time: "Stay over night."

Classes of prepositions

It would be useless to attempt to classify all the prepositions, since they are so various in meaning. The largest groups are those of place, time, and exclusion.

Prepositions of place

The following are the most common to indicate place: About, above, across, among, at, beneath, beside, between, beyond, in, on, over, under (underneath), upon, round or around, without, into, unto, up, through, throughout, to, towards, down, from (away from, down from, from out, etc.), off, out of.

Prepositions of time

They are after, during, pending, till or until; also many of the prepositions of place express time when put before words indicating time, such as at, between, by, about, on, within, etc.

Exclusion or separation

The chief ones are besides, but, except, save, without. The participle excepting is also used as a preposition.

Taken from:

esl.about.com/library/grammar/blgr_prep9.htm
http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/preposit.html