Hailey
Ending sentences with prepositions Ending sentences with prepositions, what does this sound like? (in Big Bang Theory) ㅡExcept for your tendency to end sentences with prepositions. "What are you talking about? ㅡ...That. Also, I've been informed of a joke a few months ago : A : So, where are you from? B : I come from a place where one does not end a sentence with a preposition. A : ...So, where are you from, JACKASS? It seems to say ending sentences with prepositions grate on English speakers' ears. I has been a bit surprised by "Your sister is so amazingly without" though. I wonder what that sounds like?
20 feb. 2010 14:17
Antwoorden · 5
1
A lot of people speak like that. Obviously you would not do it if you were writing a formal essay, report etc.
20 februari 2010
1
Ending sentences with prepositions is perfectly fine as long as it sounds natural. Apparently, there never was such a rule in the first place (unless you're speaking Latin).
20 februari 2010
1
fdmaxey is entirely correct, on all counts. Other examples: "She is unsure what to look for." "If not Cristmas, then what is there to look forward to?" "What is he looking at?" All these sound perfectly natural.
20 februari 2010
1
The truth is that very few native English speakers would criticize you for ending a sentence with a preposition. In fact, few would even notice. Anybody who would criticize you would be criticized themselves for being so strict. Even a noted English speaker such as Winston Churchill made fun of hold to such a strict rule. He said (jokingly): "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which we shall not put!" Anybody would have said "...something we shall not put up with." His sentence sounded incredibly awkward and he meant that it should be, just to point out the silliness of keeping to such a strict rule. I'm willing to bet that if you talk with native English speakers for the next 10 years and end sentences with prepositions, you wouldn't get one complaint. The only exception might be formal written English, but you would probably not be criticized even then.
20 februari 2010
Btw, "... prepositions grate on English speakers' ears" Excellent English, Hailey! :) Are you sure you still need this forum? *g*
20 februari 2010
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