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At the End of a Sentence
At some point, you probably heard that it’s incorrect
to end sentences with prepositions (words like of, for, with, at, to, in, from, up,
and so on). But many people think it’s okay to break this rule.
In fact, occasionally you’ll come across a sentence that would sound
painfully awkward if it didn’t end in a preposition.
Awkward: From
where in the world did you come?
Less awkward: Where in the world did you come from?
Less awkward: Where in the world did you come from?
Awkward: Janine
is the meanest girl on whom I have ever laid eyes.
Less awkward: Janine is the meanest girl I have ever laid eyes on.
Less awkward: Janine is the meanest girl I have ever laid eyes on.
Awkward: We
have much for which to be thankful.
Less awkward: We have much to be thankful for.
Less awkward: We have much to be thankful for.
Idiomatic use
Almost nothing drives nonnative speakers of English
crazier than the task of matching prepositions with words—and native
speakers don’t exactly have an easy time of it, either. Logic won’t
help you, since most word-preposition pairs are a matter of tradition.
Memorization is the key. Here is a partial list of some common pairs:
• He can’t abide by the
no-spitting rule.
• He was accompanied by an
angry model.
• How do you account for the
state of your bedroom?
• She accused me of
stealing her feather boa.
• The principal acquitted her of all
wrongdoing.
• I am adept at fooling
principals.
• I am even more adept in the
art of fooling vice principals.
• I agreed to eat the
broccoli.
• She is anxious about her
organic chemistry exam.
• He apologized for losing
the hamsters in the heating vent.
• She applied for a
credit card.
• My mother pretends to approve
of my boyfriend.
• I arrived at work
around noon.
• You believe in ghosts.
• I can’t be blamed for your
neuroses.
• Do you care about me?
• The intervention centers on your
wild binges.
• He’s in charge of grocery
shopping.
• The shout coincided with a
loud crash.
• Nothing compares to you.
• Compared with her,
you’re a movie star.
• What is there to complain about?
• If you don’t comply with the
ban on gum, you’ll be banished
to detention.
• I never confide in her.
• Confiding your secrets to her
is like emailing them to the entire class.
• Ice cream consists of milk,
fat, and sugar.
• He can always count on money
from his mommy.
• I depend on no one.
• That’s where cats differ from dogs.
• She differs with him
on the matter of cilantro.
• Screeching is different from singing.
• It’s terrible to discriminate
against parakeets.
• He is completely enamored of the
exchange student.
• I have a plan to escape from this
prison.
• There’s no excuse for your
behavior.
• You can’t hide from your
past.
• It was all he’d hoped for.
• I hate to impose on you,
but could I borrow your car?
• She was finally independent
of her mother.
• I must insist upon it.
• He instilled his passion
for the Red Sox in his son.
• Her mastery of table
tennis is remarkable.
• Her mastery over all
other competitors is indisputable.
• It’s impossible to object to her
lucid arguments.
• Pray for me.
• I refuse to participate in this
discussion.
• Protect me from evil.
• Provide me with plenty
of Skittles.
• She reconciled with her
best friend.
• She reconciled herself to the
idea that she’d never trust Sally again.
• She stayed home to recover
from the flu.
• I rely on myself.
• She stared at his
chest.
• He subscribes to several
trashy magazines.
• I succeeded in fooling
him.
• Wait for me!
• Work with me!
Two Prepositions
Try not to place two prepositions right next to each
other in a sentence. Rewrite to avoid this awkward syntax.
Awkward: Francesca
just walked by, by the way.Less awkward: By the way, Francesca just walked by.
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