Ending a sentence with a preposition
"It was once a cherished superstition that prepositions must be kept true to their name and placed before the word they govern . . . . The fact is that the remarkable freedom enjoyed by English in putting its prepositions late . . . is an important element in the flexibility of the language."
H.W. Fowler, Fowler's Modern English Usage 473-474 (2d ed., Ernest Gowers, ed., Oxford 1965).
(Fowler was writing in the 1920s, by the way.)
Under this supposed rule, we get sentences like this:
- I am providing a copy of various university regulations of which you should be aware.
Check any source on English usage. All that I have checked say essentially this: End a sentence with a preposition if avoiding it would sound awkward or pretentious.
4 Comments:
My favorite story of the absurdity of the preposition "rule" is the attributed (perhaps falsely) to Winston Churchill. When an overzealous editor rewrote his sentences to eliminate the ending preposition, Churchill is supposed to have written in the margin: "“This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.”
While the tale may be fabricated (see http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/churchill.html), it still makes a great illustration.
To whom is this advice given? If to casual writers, it may merely serve as a rationalization for an abdication of self-control.
The better rule is not absolute, but cautionary. Look to see if your sentence ends in a preposition. If it does, consider whether you have something better to end it with.
Er, some better way to end it.
Allow me to offer my heartiest wishes.
Don‘t waste your time on a man/woman, who isn‘t willing to waste their time on you. bjseek Bjxlzx
Hi Best wishes。bjseek by数据恢复loves xicao xicao lovesby bjseek数据恢复为您提供心理咨询心理辅导与心理治疗等服务帮助您走出困惑和危机享有心身健康的高品质生活。北京心理咨询专业从事数据恢复领域的产品开发与技术服务自主研发RAID数据恢复服务器数据恢复分析程序来提供高、中、低压锅炉无缝管、合金无缝管无缝钢管钢管化肥专用钢管，流体无缝管、结构无缝管、石油裂化无缝钢管、地质钢管、液压支柱钢管通常说的加密狗的破解大致可以分为三种方法，一种是通过硬件克隆或者复制一种是通过SoftICE等Debug工具调试跟踪解密一种是通过编写拦截程序修改软件和加密锁之间的通讯。娱乐幸福女人娱乐相册导航google排名google排名google排名台州网络公司台州网站建设 google左侧排名google左侧排名google排名论文发表资讯刊物信息，协助客户制定论文发表方案.
google排名
google排名
网站优化
搜索引擎优化
网站优化
搜索引擎优化
百度优化
SEO
The best of luck Best wishes Best regards .by bjseek
The best of luckgoogle Best wishes Best regards Buy cheap WOW Power Leveling,sell wow gold.welcome to buy cheap wow gold-We can have WOW PowerLeveling,buy wow gold game, World Of Warcraft Gold,wow Gold, world of warcraft gold deal,Cheap WOW Gold. Welcome here to buy the professional World Of Warcraft Power Leveling service, World Of Warcraft PowerLeveling for Cheap Wow Powerleveling, WoW Power leveling Guide.
Post a Comment
<< Home