Transcript Ending a Sentence With a Preposition

Ending a Sentence With a
Preposition
Is it acceptable?
Adapted by Linda Neuman
Do not end a sentence with a
preposition if:
1. The preposition is unnecessary
Incorrect: Where are you at?
Correct: Where are you?
2. The sentence can easily be reworded
Incorrect: I don’t know what he did that for.
Correct: I don’t know why he did that.
Prepositions may end a sentence
when:
1. They are part of a phrasal verb
Correct: She’d never heard of it, so she looked it up.
(“to look up” is a phrasal verb which must end in a
preposition)
2. The sentence might sound too formal if you reworded it
Correct: He responded with the kindness he was known for.
Also correct: He responded with the kindness for which
he was known.
When it’s best not to end a sentence
with a preposition:
1. A cover letter or job application
Because of the long-standing opinion that it is
grammatically incorrect, the person reading the letter
might see it as an error.
2. A formal academic paper or journal article
Your authority might be questioned if someone
reading your paper considers this a grammatical error.
Synonyms for phrasal verbs
For phrasal verbs that read awkwardly when reworded,
think of a synonym to replace the phrase.
That is a situation I had not thought of.
That is a situation I had not considered.
It is behaviour I will not put up with.
It is behavior I will not tolerate.