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Prepositions after verbs

Last for, from, until, in, or through

Last often combines with for to express duration, but other prepositions are possible in different structures.

Quick answer

Which preposition is most common with last?

Use last for to express duration. Last until gives an endpoint. Last through means continue during a difficult period. Last from and last in are usually part of different sentence structures, not fixed combinations after last.

The meeting lasted for two hours.
The sale lasts until Friday.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
last for + period

Showing duration

Use for with hours, days, years, and similar time periods.

The battery lasted for ten hours.
Their friendship has lasted for decades.
2
last until + time

Showing an endpoint

Use until to show when something stops.

The concert lasted until midnight.
The contract lasts until June.
3
last through + event/period

Continuing during something difficult

Use through for surviving or continuing across a period.

These boots should last through the winter.
The company lasted through the crisis.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
last for
The class lasted for three hours.
express duration
last until
The rain lasted until dawn.
show the endpoint
last through
The food lasted through the trip.
continue across a period
last from
The festival lasts from May to July.
from belongs to a range expression
last in
The noise lasted in my memory.
in introduces a separate place or context

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using from without a matching to

From usually appears in a from-to time range.

✕ The event lasted from three hours. ✓ The event lasted for three hours.

Using in for duration

Use for to express how long something continues.

✕ The lesson lasted in two hours. ✓ The lesson lasted for two hours.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The storm lasted ___ several days.
2. The permit lasts ___ next month.
3. This jacket should last ___ the season.

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Frequently asked questions

Can last be used without a preposition?

Yes. For example: The batteries lasted all day.

When do we use last from?

Use it in time ranges such as from June to August.

What does last through imply?

It often suggests surviving a challenging period or event.

label, as, label, with lag behind, in, from, on or by? "land on" or "land in"? languish in, at, on, for or near? "latch onto" or "latch on"? laugh at, with, about, in or for? launch in, by, on, at or into? "lay on" or "lay in"? lead to, by, up, in or from? "leak to" or "leak from"? lean on, towards, against, toward or to? "leap to", "leap into" or "leap from"?

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