For the end of year posting, our topic is the end of something else: sentences. This is the third of our sticky ‘rules’ in English grammar, having already covered Singular They and Split Infinitives. When a sentence ends in a preposition (also known as Preposition Stranding), some folks get in an uproar, BUT we need to note a couple things before going overboard.
Let’s step back and figure out what all the fuss is about. Just by looking at the word, we can tell that a pre-position must come before something. (Some languages have post-positions that have to come after something, as well as circum-positions that go around something.) So, if it is supposed to go before something, how can it end up at the end of something…with nothing behind it? It can happen three ways: questions, relative clauses, and passives. Here are some examples:
- What are you talking about? (You are talking about what?)
- This is the book I told you about. (I told you about a book—and this is it.)
- This bed looks as if it has been slept in. (It looks as if someone has slept in this bed.)
Some of those rearrangements sound pretty unnatural, so why do we think we aren’t supposed to end with a preposition? Let’s check out the background.
History
Preposition Stranding was perfectly natural in English long before anyone commented on it. Since early Anglo-Saxon times, terminal prepositions have appeared in the writings of Chaucer, Milton, and Shakespeare—they even show up in the King James Bible. It wasn’t until 1672 that we find disapproval. That was when John Dryden complained about the phrase “the bodies that those souls were frighted from” in one of Ben Johnson’s writings. He didn’t explain why he didn’t like it, but he was known for following many Latin rules in his writing—and as Latin doesn’t allow prepositions to be moved from their object, he may have been trying to apply that rule to English as well. Others followed and passed on the ‘rule’ including Robert Lowth who admitted that it was common in English…but not suited for formal writing.
“This is an Idiom which our language is strongly inclined to; it prevails in common conversation, and suits very well with the familiar style in writing; but the placing of the Preposition before the Relative is more graceful, as well as more perspicuous; and agrees much better with the solemn and elevated Style.”—Robert Lowth in A Short Introduction to English Grammar published in 1762
I suppose if we wanted to be more ‘graceful’ or ‘perspicuous’, if we were trying to write in a more ‘solemn and elevated style’, if we thought Latin was the best thing ever, then we should front the preposition whenever possible—BUT I prefer to write what I like to read, so by being more colloquial, I’ll probably have more readers (who buy my books!), and that would be my goal.
Modern Usage
Currently you won’t find many grammarians who agree with this constraint, yet this ‘rule’ is still being taught in schools. According to many, this is one of the most persistent myths in grammar. Fortunately, the Grammar Police won’t arrest you if you end a sentence with a preposition…at least not all the time. On the other hand, when the preposition is extraneous, then we should remove it. Contemporary vernacular is sadly full of unnecessary prepositions. Consider the following:
- Where is he at?
- Where is he?
They mean the same thing, so the irrelevant preposition shouldn’t be there. How about:
- He slid off of the roof.
- He slid off the roof.
Same situation, and not even at the end of a sentence! Even in the middle of sentences, any unneeded prepositions need to go. Just try dropping the preposition, and if it still makes sense, still means the same thing, then leave it out!