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Can you end sentences with prepositions?

Now what am I talking about?


Just that. Is it ok to end sentences with prepositions like “about”, “for”, “at”, “of” etc.?


Grammar Nazis would frown at the idea. Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that this rule originated in 1872 when John Dryden chastised Ben Jonson as "The preposition in the end of the sentence; a common fault with him.” M-W-Dictionary thinks that the rule is passé, and must be put to rest.


These days, it is considered okay to use prepositions at the end of sentences in informal talk. It often finds its way into formal writing as well, but we, at Valardocs, are uneasy about it, having been brought up by 17th-century Catholic nuns who rapped our knuckles if we used dangling prepositions. We try to rephrase sentences that have a preposition at the end, but if it sounds too pretentious, give it up and leave the sentence as it is.


So, sorry Sheldon.



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