The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support Forums"(P)ermissible in English for a preposition to be what you end a sentence with" - Merriam Webster
I believe that I am owed a better grade from multiple English teachers. Where do I sue?
The idea that it should be avoided came from writers who were trying to align the language with Latin, but there is no reason to suggest ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong.
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elleng
(130,974 posts)hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)ret5hd
(20,495 posts)if you had gotten Cs instead of Ds to show on your Permanent Record.
ms liberty
(8,580 posts)Wonder Why
(3,212 posts)Although I admit I try to follow the old fashioned AMERICAN way, I have cheated because it's easier. Mea Culpa!
On the other hand, I may appeal to the Oxford Dictionary and ask them to overrule Merriam on the grounds that their opinion is "incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial", actus reus, ad infinitum, and that Merriam acted animus nocendi, non compos mentis, in flagrante delicto, in terrorem, and contra legem. The court should act de novo, a priori, and declare Merriam to be hostis humani generis, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!
Can I become Donny's new attorney now?
niyad
(113,343 posts)malthaussen
(17,204 posts)Wonder Why
(3,212 posts)mitch96
(13,912 posts)Last edited Fri Feb 16, 2024, 02:36 PM - Edit history (1)
niyad
(113,343 posts)GiqueCee
(631 posts)Read years ago that Old Winnie was accosted by a fellow dinner guest for ending a sentence with a preposition, and his reply was, "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which we must not put!"
Gotta love it!
3catwoman3
(24,007 posts)My own favorite is this one - "This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.
There's debate on whether or not this gem is actually from Churchill. I don't care, I love it anyway.
limbicnuminousity
(1,402 posts)So many hours rephrasing essays in school. Next thing they say, they probably won't even require cursive anymore!
The important question though: hard or soft bristles?
Mr.Bill
(24,303 posts)was visiting friends in Boston and they went to a cocktail party. The Atlanta lady wanted to strike up a conversation with this Boston lady and she asked he "Where do y'all come from?" the Boston lady answered "I come from where we don't end our sentence with prepositions."
The Atlanta lady said "Okay, where do y'all come from, bitch?"
niyad
(113,343 posts)I guess?
niyad
(113,343 posts)Thunderbeast
(3,417 posts)Warren_Pointe
(328 posts)He replied "At this university, we do not end sentences with prepositions."
So I asked, "Where's the Library at, asshole?"
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)"Where is the library?"
"Where can I find the Library on this campus?"
"Can you direct me to the Library?"
TwilightZone
(25,471 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)alternative phrasing. It sounds more edumacated to my ear (old joke).
blm
(113,065 posts)Warren_Pointe
(328 posts)Freshman comp was taught from books called Writing Good Sentences amd Writing Good Prose.
malthaussen
(17,204 posts)... although it can be quite awkward at times.
I dunno where I picked up this quirk. Unlike some here, I don't remember it ever being discussed in grammar classes.
-- Mal
birdographer
(1,331 posts)How many times have I contorted a sentence just to avoid ending it with a preposition??? The problem is that we have to be sure everyone is aware of this, or we will continue to be judged for doing it. I guess that's something we have to deal with.
OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)birdographer
(1,331 posts)intrepidity
(7,307 posts)I know nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns. Then my brain got full, apparently.
UTUSN
(70,710 posts)I would be on the way to becoming an authority in it. Imagine my surprise when the prof's overview was that we would not be going through "rules" of grammar, that that approach was "Prescriptive," while our modern, (pseudo- ) scientific approach was to be "Descriptive" as a way to arrive at some linguistic "Deep Meaning."
Weeks followed of convoluted diagrams that were contortions of our presumably outdated type of sentence diagramming, in which this-"modifying"--that didn't fit the old Prescriptive rules, supposedly ending with the "real" deep-down meaning being conveyed.
It was an illusion balloon being popped and that course was the end of that interest for me.
Yes, one of the other features in the touchy-feely '70s (notice the correct Prescriptive form of non 's, as in the wrong 70's) was the dictum that we should forget all about "the pyramids" and focus on being touchy-feely. These years one of the very top subjects in my YouTubes is about The Pyramids - plus countless vids of historical "gossip" - the truths about history and biographies and things we were misled about.
cachukis
(2,246 posts)Srkdqltr
(6,297 posts)And should be avoided in the future.
Rhiannon12866
(205,489 posts)Along with diagramming sentences...
ailsagirl
(22,897 posts)When Winston Churchill was chastised for ending a sentence with a preposition, he wittily responded. This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put. Churchill's retort illustrates that attempts to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition can be labored and ludicrous.