takes up this very issue. He says that very often the meaning of a sentence is much clearer if the preposition is placed at the end. As I recall, he concludes with something like, "A preposition is a perfectly good thing to end a sentence with." He stretches the point a bit, but it's OK, and kind of amusing.

I write for a large chunk of my income and while I try to avoid it, I'm certainly guilty of putting a preposition right before the period when it makes the meaning of a sentence clearer and avoids the extra words needed to put the preposition somewhere else or eliminate it altogether. But I also often use a conversational style of writing, which lends itself to rule bending.

And for what it's worth, one client has a card-carrying member of the grammar police on staff and she seems to think it's OK.

But I also think that it is the evolution of language. Many "rules" are in place because grammarians--in the 1800s and early 1900s--decided language had to be used a certain way. While most of the rules are necessary for clear communications some are a bit archaic and ignoring them does not really hurt. One example is split infinitives, something that's done all the time but rarely results in the meaning of a sentence being changed or misunderstood.

• Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?, Brownie, Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:13:33
  • Suthin Belle boards a plane..., Scaniac, Fri, 15 Dec 2006 19:03:08
  • Yes. n/m, Pat, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:26:59
  • Mine have always ended with parole., Dale, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:49:35
    • You just made my day!, andym, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:49:04
  • There was a man..., PGAero , Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:30:41
  • Where'd you get that silly idea from? n/m, Caarl , Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:28:59
  • Split Away!, OKSaabs, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:26:34
    • Finally, a fellow linguist!, Caspar, Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:02:46
    • Re: Split Away!, TML , Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:35:26
    • Glad to see I'm not wrong n/m, Noel, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:54:28
  • In his book, "Elements of Style" William Zinser, Noel, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 05:24:07 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Wasn't it Churchill who said..., Dave in Houston, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 05:04:57
    • Yeah. Yoda Churchill...., JohnB, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 18:01:17
  • Horrible thing to end a sentence with n/m, SeeVTSaab, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:27:47
  • Re: Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?, painterguy, Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:46:08
  • Re: Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?, TML , Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:26:46
  • The Barbarians are at the gate..., Scott Paterson , Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:52:57
    • No flaming barbarians..., Mike Lynch , Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:29:42
  • Technically, yes., turrbo , Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:32:29
  • Re: Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?, oldsaab, Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:23:17
    • Re: Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?, David in Michigan, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:24:59
      • Sorry, missed that one..., Scaniac, Fri, 15 Dec 2006 19:11:20

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