Comments on: Grammar 101: Ending in a Preposition

By: Grammar 101: Using Sentence Fragments « Beyond the Rhetoric

Grammar 101: Using Sentence Fragments « Beyond the Rhetoric — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:31:16 +0000

[...] how you should compose your sentences. Your teachers probably told you about how you should never end your sentences in prepositions and you shouldn’t start them with words like “and” or “but.” However, [...]

By: Grammar 101: Prepositions in Time amd Space « Beyond the Rhetoric

Grammar 101: Prepositions in Time amd Space « Beyond the Rhetoric — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:15:27 +0000

[...] have difficulty in deciding which preposition he should use. This is above and beyond the issue of ending a sentence in a preposition, because you need to choose the right word in the first [...]

By: Grammar 101: What’s to Say, Who’s to Say « Beyond the Rhetoric

Grammar 101: What’s to Say, Who’s to Say « Beyond the Rhetoric — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:59:59 +0000

[...] like when it comes to ending sentences in a preposition and maintaining a consistent parallel structure, using “what’s to say” or [...]

By: betshopboy

betshopboy — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:42:36 +0000

All these “Yoda speak” is turning me green and shriveled.

By: dcr

dcr — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:19:42 +0000

Where you at?

That’s just wrong all the way around. Never mind the preposition at the end–there’s no verb! It should be simply “Where are you?”

Who are you going with?
Where did you come from?

With whom are you going? doesn’t sound bad. Nor does From where did you come?

The Churchill example is different, and largely because of the difference between “put” and “put up with” as you mentioned. Or is the difference between “put” and “put up” and not necessarily the “with”? For example, what if Churchill had said “That is the sort of thing with which I will not put up!” Nah. That sounds bad too. Maybe he should have simply said “I will not put up with that sort of thing!” Solves the problem all the way around.

When in doubt, say it differently.

I think it’s best to try not to end a sentence in a preposition. Perhaps sometimes it sounds better because we’re used to it and not necessarily because it is better.

Still, I think sometimes it’s okay to end a sentence in a preposition while at the same time I think it should be avoided where possible. I think “With whom are you going?” sounds fine and is preferable to “Who are you going with?”

By: Ray Ebersole

Ray Ebersole — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:48:58 +0000

This is the part of grammar that should just be dropped. Whatever reads best should be the proper way to write it. American English is the hardest language in the world to learn. It is easier to learn Chinese or Japanese than it is to learn proper English.

If it sounds good after I write it then it’s proper to me.