Poll: Ending a sentence in a preposition

[punkin]

Ending sentences in prepositions is offensive impertinence, up with which I will not put.

 

[mackeysmom]

I received a cute Christmas card this year - it showed two women and one said, "Where's the Christmas party at?" The other woman said, "Don't you know not to end a sentence with a preposition?". To which the first woman replied, "Where's the Christmas party at, B**ch?"

- Laura

 

[SookieStackhouse]

I really try not to end sentences with prepositions.

 

[Axel]

I'm at college studying English, so my obligatory answer is "no." Though, I will cop to using it sometimes without realizing what I'm doing.

 

[The Orchid]

I received a cute Christmas card this year - it showed two women and one said, "Where's the Christmas party at?" The other woman said, "Don't you know not to end a sentence with a preposition?". To which the first woman replied, "Where's the Christmas party at, B**ch?"

- Laura

That is so funny! Here's another version:

A couple from Georgia and a couple from the Northeast were seated side by side on an airplane.

The girl from Georgia, being friendly and all, said, “So, where y’all from?”

The Northeast girl said, “From a place where they know better than to use a preposition at the end of a sentence.”

The girl from Georgia sat quietly for a few moments and then replied: “So, where y’all from, b***h?”

 

[Belle0101]

I usually don't even though I'm from Michigan. My dad was really adamant that we use proper grammar so it sounds very strange to me when someone ends a sentence with a proposition.

I don't know, I guess it depends on the proposition.

 

[OceanAnnie]

You guys are cracking me up.

I think Yoda is best known for doing this. (Watched a Star Wars episode tonight.)

"Meditate on this, I will."

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm at college studying English, so my obligatory answer is "no." Though, I will cop to using it sometimes without realizing what I'm doing.

Yes. Been there, done that.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Nine years of Catholic grammar school and four years of Catholic high school made it nearly impossible for me to end a written sentence in a preposition. Even when it looks more natural to do so, I cannot overcome the set nerual pathways that my teachers drilled into me for the first thirteen years of my formal education. In conversational speaking, however, I do it all the time.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Other. Because sometimes changing the structure of a sentence to make sure it doesn't end in a preposition just makes you sound pretentious.

 

[topolino]

You guys are cracking me up.

I think Yoda is best known for doing this. (Watched a Star Wars episode tonight.)

"Meditate on this, I will."

"will" is a verb, not a preposition.

 

[goofyernmost]

The purpose of language is communication. Just because some pretentious snit decides that a sentence should be structured in some immovable way, is just foolish.

If you have clearly communicated to the point that everyone understands you, then you have used the language in the way that was proper.

 

[shortbun]

I voted yes because sometimes I find myself trapped into doing it. I never say, 'where are you AT?' though. I recognize the redundancy of AT in that question, I'm proud to say. I've instructed my son on the use of prepositions and I try to correct him in private when he ends a sentence with a preposition. There are some pretty pompous sounding sentences caused by avoiding this so sometimes I just do it. I think the 'AT' is the worst.

 

[declansdad]

Contrary to popular belief, there are times when it is necessary to end a sentence with a preposition. For example:

What did you step on? vs What did you step?

 

[Cinderella94]

Contrary to popular belief, there are times when it is necessary to end a sentence with a preposition. For example:

What did you step on? vs What did you step?

"On what did you step?"

Maybe? I definitely end sentences in prepositions, myself, so I'm totally not criticizing .

 

[declansdad]

"On what did you step?"

Maybe? I definitely end sentences in prepositions, myself, so I'm totally not criticizing .

No one in speaks that way. If the preposition is needed for clarity, it can be used at the end of a sentence.

 

[Cinderella94]

No one in speaks that way. If the preposition is needed for clarity, it can be used at the end of a sentence.

Oh, I know no one goes around talking like that. That's why lots of people in this thread have said that they'll write that way only for professional papers (for school, etc) but not speak that way because it sounds pretentious.

 

[declansdad]

Oh, I know no one knows around talking like that. That's why lots of people in this thread have said that they'll write that way only for professional papers (for school, etc) but not speak that way because it sounds pretentious.

LOL, you wouldn't write that way in a professional paper either; talk about pretentious.

 

[Cinderella94]

LOL, you wouldn't write that way in a professional paper either; talk about pretentious.

No, I suppose I wouldn't. I'm just saying that although it sounds completely unnatural to our ears, and it's accepted and even expected to use "what did you step on," you could use "on what did you step" to avoid ending with a preposition if you really wanted to. It's not necessary to end with the preposition; we've just accepted it in this case. And that's fine. I do it, myself, all the time!

 

[nancys]

How many times would the question "What did you step on?" occur in a professional paper?

I agree with a PP; NEVER use a preposition to end a sentence with!