Split Away! - Saab General Bulletin Board - Saabnet.com
The banner above is an advertisment - if it asks you to download software, please ignore.
Site News -
4/9 Saab Owners' Convention Day Pass Raffle |
3/26 M Car Covers (by State of Nine)
[General |
Members |
C900 |
9000 |
NG900 & OG93 |
93 |
95 |
NG95 |
99 |
Sonett |
Vintage Models |
Clubs |
Other Cars |
FAQs |
Gifts |
Member Photo Galleries |
Member Directory |
Classifieds |
Manuals |
*Buddy Registry |
*Mileage Registry |
Polls |
What's New |
Raffle |
Photo of the Month |
Sponsors]
[Main General Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
Split Away!
Posted by OKSaabs (more from OKSaabs) on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:26:34
In Reply to: Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?, Brownie, Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:13:33
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
Historically, the "rule" originated with grammar prescriptivists in the early part of the twentieth century, a time when education was aking a very strict approach to everything. The prescription, however, had no basis in reality as great writers throughout time have regularly ended sentences with prepositions, including a Mr. Shakespeare who did it with regularity.
Logically, the idea behind the "rule" is that a prepositional phrase cannot be split, that the object must always follow the preposition. This is a bogus rule as it occurs no where else in English. It is perfectly permissable, for example, to separate a direct object from its verb. The only other thing in English which we are warned against splitting is infinitives (to + verb) but even that rule has nothing to do with English; it comes from Latin.
Practically, ending a sentence with a preposition does nothing to impede understanding.
I would suggest, however, that in formal writing you carefully consider how your audience will accept your avoidance of the "rule," as some people will definitely judge you for doing it. As in all other aspects of writing, it's the audience's perceptions that matter.
I am, by the way, a Professor of English with a PhD in composition and rhetoric. This time, I know what I'm talking about.
posted by 156.110.35...
Posts in this Thread:
- 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
- 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 <-- Viewing This Message
- 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
- Wasn't it Churchill who said..., Dave in Houston, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 05:04:57
- 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
- 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
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
Post a Followup
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
StateOfNine.com
|
SaabClub.com
|
Jak Stoll Performance
|
M Car Covers
|
Ad Available
|
Random Saabnet.com Member Gallery Photos (Click Image)
This is a moderated bulletin board - Posting is a privilege, not a right.
Unsolicited commercial postings are not allowed (no spam). Please, no For Sale or Wanted postings, SERIOUSLY.
Classifieds are to be listed in The Saab Network Classifieds pages.
This is a problem solving forum for over 250,000 Saab owners, so expect to see
problems discussed here even though our cars are generally very reliable. This is not an anything goes
type of forum. Saabnet.com has been a moderated forum since 1988. For usage guidelines, see the
Saabnet.com Mission and Purpose Page. Please remember that you are
not anonymous. Site Contact | Site Donations | Other Sites by SP -
Poverty2Prosperity.org | Run Club Menlo Park | ScreenBot
Site Members do not see red text instructions, bottom of the page anchor ads, or box ads.
Click here to see all
the Site Membership Benefits!