Ending a Sentence with a Preposition
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: ENDING A SETENCE WITH A PREPOSTION
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
When I was a kid, I used to visit my cousins in Minnesota, and I remember them saying things like:
We’re going to get some ice cream. Wanna come with? And I’d think “Come with?” I knew they meant “Do you want to come with us” but it sounded a little strange to my ears, probably because I, along with most students of my generation, had been taught never to end a sentence with a preposition such as “with” or “about.”
But nowadays, ending a sentence with a preposition is no longer considered vulgar or bad English. In fact, I checked the latest grammar handbooks recently, and they didn’t even mention ending a sentence with a preposition. People still believe in this so-called rule, however.
You’ll also still find information about it on the web—although most sites label it a myth and explain why it’s not worth worrying about. Did you notice I ended that last sentence with the preposition “about”?
So why was it once considered bad grammar to end your sentence with “about” or “from” or “for”? Blame it on English author John Dryden, who, way back in the 17th century, applied the rules of Latin grammar to English. But for many years, good writers have knowingly violated this so-called rule.
On the other hand, you might sometimes want to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. You have to use your ear to help you decide. Let’s take a title like Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Would it sound better as “Whom the Bell Tolls For”? Not to my ears.
And what about a sentence like this: What were you thinking about? Does it sound better if you say:
About what were you thinking? Not in my universe.
It’s all about deciding which sentence structure gives your prose the right rhythm and emphasizes what you want to emphasize. Take another example: A vote was called for. To avoid ending in a preposition, you’d have to say something like The committee chair called for a vote. That might actually be better, if you want to focus on the actors—those calling for the vote. But it might not be better if you want to focus on the process of voting.
It’s also about not sounding pretentious or awkward. I mean, do you really want to say “That’s a beautiful sofa on which you are sitting”? I didn’t think so.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
EPISODE: ENDING A SETENCE WITH A PREPOSTION
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
When I was a kid, I used to visit my cousins in Minnesota, and I remember them saying things like:
We’re going to get some ice cream. Wanna come with? And I’d think “Come with?” I knew they meant “Do you want to come with us” but it sounded a little strange to my ears, probably because I, along with most students of my generation, had been taught never to end a sentence with a preposition such as “with” or “about.”
But nowadays, ending a sentence with a preposition is no longer considered vulgar or bad English. In fact, I checked the latest grammar handbooks recently, and they didn’t even mention ending a sentence with a preposition. People still believe in this so-called rule, however.
You’ll also still find information about it on the web—although most sites label it a myth and explain why it’s not worth worrying about. Did you notice I ended that last sentence with the preposition “about”?
So why was it once considered bad grammar to end your sentence with “about” or “from” or “for”? Blame it on English author John Dryden, who, way back in the 17th century, applied the rules of Latin grammar to English. But for many years, good writers have knowingly violated this so-called rule.
On the other hand, you might sometimes want to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. You have to use your ear to help you decide. Let’s take a title like Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Would it sound better as “Whom the Bell Tolls For”? Not to my ears.
And what about a sentence like this: What were you thinking about? Does it sound better if you say:
About what were you thinking? Not in my universe.
It’s all about deciding which sentence structure gives your prose the right rhythm and emphasizes what you want to emphasize. Take another example: A vote was called for. To avoid ending in a preposition, you’d have to say something like The committee chair called for a vote. That might actually be better, if you want to focus on the actors—those calling for the vote. But it might not be better if you want to focus on the process of voting.
It’s also about not sounding pretentious or awkward. I mean, do you really want to say “That’s a beautiful sofa on which you are sitting”? I didn’t think so.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.