法律英语：20 Ending a Sentence With a Preposition

Today's topic is prepositions. Here's a typical listener question:

 

I wanted to know if you could do a podcast on not ending a sentence with prepositions.

Just as Harry¹ Potter was unfairly labeled “undesirable number one” in the latest J.K. Rowling book, ending a sentence with a preposition is often unfairly labeled “undesirable grammar construction number one” by people who were taught that prepositions have a proper place in the world, and it's not at the end of a sentence.

I'm going to start calling this “grammar myth number one” because nearly all grammarians agree that it's fine to end sentences with prepositions, at least in some cases (1, 2, 3, 4).

So before I lose you, let's back up. What is a preposition?

What is a Preposition?
A preposition is a word that creates a relationship between other words.  It's been said that prepositions often deal with space and time (1), which always makes me think of Star Trek². For example, the prepositions above, by, and over all say something about a position in space; the prepositions before, after, and since all say something about time.

Here's an example of a sentence that can end with a preposition: What did you step on? A key point, you might say the Quick and Dirty Tip, is that the sentence doesn't work if you leave off the preposition. You can't say, “What did you step?” You need to say, “What did you step on?” to make a grammatical sentence.

I can hear some of you gnashing your teeth right now, while you think, “What about saying, 'On what did you step?'” But really, have you ever heard anyone talk that way? I've read long, contorted arguments from noted³ grammarians about why it's OK to end sentences with prepositions when the preposition isn't extraneous⁴ (1), but the driving point still seems to be, “Nobody in their right mind talks this way.” Yes, you could say, “On what did you step?” but not even grammarians think you should.

But, you can't always end sentences with prepositions. When you could leave off the preposition and it wouldn't change the meaning, you should leave it off. Really, I can't believe anyone would make such a silly mistake! 

Hi Grammar girl, this is Brian and Alley⁵ from Iowa City, IA, and we were just wondering, in your last episode, you said, “That's where it's at.” Is that correct? We thought you couldn't end sentences with prepositions.

Ahem. That voice-mail message is at least four months old. I'm going to pretend I'm testifying before congress and say that I have no recollection of saying such a thing.

But if I did say, “That's where it's at.” I'm so sorry—the horror—because that is one of the instances where it's not OK to end a sentence with a preposition! I need to do some kind of grammar penance⁶ such as memorizing all the academic grammar words that start with i: imperative⁷ clause, indefinite article, idiot . . . .

The problem is that the sentence That's where it's at doesn't need the preposition. If you open the contraction⁸ “it-apostrophe-s” and say “That's where it is,” it means the same thing as That's where it’s at. So the at is unnecessary.

Unnecessary Prepositions

The problem with unnecessary prepositions doesn't just happen at the end of sentences. People often throw extraneous prepositions into the middle of sentences, and they really shouldn't (2). Instead of saying Squiggly jumped off of the dock, it's better to say Squiggly jumped off the dock. You see? You don't need to say off of the dock; off the dock says the same thing without the preposition. A listener wrote in saying he often hears people say outside of when outside by itself would do just fine, and he's right. You should say, “He's outside the door,” not, “He's outside of the door.”

To get back to the main point, the bottom line is that many people think it's wrong, so I wouldn't advise ending sentences with prepositions in critical situations, for example, you shouldn't do it in a cover letter for a job you really want. I always say, “It's better to be employed than right.” But once you're hired, end away, and do your part to dispel⁹ grammar myth number one.

Announcements
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Money Girl is nominated for Best Business Podcast, and I'm sure she would appreciate your vote too. This week her podcast is about an underreported change in credit card rules that will affect thousands of people's credit scores.

 

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 extraneous   

adj.体外的；外来的；外部的

参考例句：

• I can choose to ignore these extraneous thoughts.我可以选择无视这些外来的想法。
• Reductant from an extraneous source is introduced.外来的还原剂被引进来。

5 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

6 penance   

n.（赎罪的）惩罪

参考例句：

• They had confessed their sins and done their penance.他们已经告罪并做了补赎。
• She knelt at her mother's feet in penance.她忏悔地跪在母亲脚下。

7 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

8 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

9 dispel   

vt.驱走，驱散，消除

参考例句：

• I tried in vain to dispel her misgivings.我试图消除她的疑虑，但没有成功。
• We hope the programme will dispel certain misconceptions about the disease.我们希望这个节目能消除对这种疾病的一些误解。

10 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网