[Sticky] Breaking the Rules: When it's Acceptable to End a Sentence with a Preposition

Ending a sentence with a preposition is a common grammatical issue that has been debated for centuries. While some people believe it is grammatically incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition, others argue that it is acceptable in certain contexts. In this article, we will explore this topic in more detail to help you better understand when it is appropriate to end a sentence with a preposition.

To begin with, let's define what a preposition is. A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Examples of common prepositions include "at," "in," "on," "of," and "with."

Now, let's look at an example of a sentence that ends with a preposition:

What are you looking at?

In this sentence, "at" is a preposition that is used to show the relationship between "you" and "what." While some people may argue that it is incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition, it is actually quite common in everyday speech and informal writing.

However, when it comes to formal writing, ending a sentence with a preposition is generally considered to be less acceptable. This is because formal writing is typically held to a higher standard of grammatical correctness than everyday speech or informal writing.

For example, consider the following sentence:

To whom did you give the book?

This sentence is considered more formal than "Who did you give the book to?" because it avoids ending the sentence with a preposition. In formal writing, it is often recommended to rephrase a sentence to avoid ending it with a preposition.

That being said, there are certain situations where ending a sentence with a preposition is perfectly acceptable. For example, when the preposition is part of a phrasal verb, such as "put up with" or "look forward to," it is often awkward or impossible to avoid ending the sentence with a preposition.

Another situation where ending a sentence with a preposition may be acceptable is when it is more important to convey the meaning of the sentence clearly than to follow strict grammatical rules. In these cases, it is often better to use natural, conversational language that is easily understood by the reader or listener.

In summary, ending a sentence with a preposition is a grammatical issue that has been debated for centuries. While it is generally considered less acceptable in formal writing, it is quite common in everyday speech and informal writing. However, in situations where the preposition is part of a phrasal verb or where clarity is more important than strict grammatical correctness, it may be acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition.