The ablative will regularly be found associated with the following prepositions

cum
in
a, ab
e, ex
de
sine
pro
sub
super

For other uses of the ablative, see Uses of the ablative.

Some of these prepositional uses can be further characterised as follows:

Ablative of place where

This answers the question 'Where did x happen?' The ablative follows the preposition 'in'.

He hid the gold in the bedroom
which in Latin would be:
aurum in cubiculo celavit.

Ablative of place from where

This answers the question 'From where (whence) did you come?' when the subject has come away from somewhere. The ablative follows the preposition a, ab.

The priest ran away from the temple
which in Latin would be
sacerdos a templo cucurrit.

Ablative of place out of which

This answers the question 'From where (whence) have you come?' when the subject has come out of somewhere. The ablative follows the preposition e, ex.

The sailor jumps off the ship
which in Latin would be
nauta e nave salit.

Ablative of place down from which

This answers the question 'From where (whence) have you come?' when the subject has come down from somewhere. The ablative follows the preposition de.

The soldier gets down from his horse
which in Latin would be:
miles de equo descendit.

Examples from the exercises

Identify the preposition and ablative in each sentence. Translate.

The number after each question indicates the exercise from which it has been drawn, so that you can look at the example in context.

  1. ...solus in Libya Indiaque. Exercise 6
  2. ... de salsis ... lacunis. Exercise 9
  3. si de hereditate, de finibus controversia est ...Exercise 11
  4. si qui ex reliquis excellit ... Exercise 11
  5. sine periculo commeare dicuntur.Exercise 10

Further examples: general and from Cicero

  1. quae lubido ab oculis, quod facinus a manibus umquam tuis, quod flagitium a toto corpore afuit? Cicero In Catilinam I.12
  2. ... in comitio cum telo ... Cicero In Catilinam I.12
  3. ... aut cum his vivendum aut pro his ... Cicero In Catilinam II.27
  4. pro nobis
  5. in senatu
  6. ex villa
  7. sine dubio
  8. sine qua non
  9. super mare et terries
  10. sub undis