Prepositions at the end of sentences: Better writing

You may have been taught at school that you shouldn’t use a preposition to end a sentence. This is a hangover from Latin and Greek – sentences in the two languages never ended with prepositions.

Years ago I worked in the public relations department of Britain’s Science and Engineering Research Council and was taken to task by my boss for ending a sentence with a preposition. He told me it was; “Something, up with which, I will not put” – a quote from Winston Churchill.*

But that was then, and this is now. The grammar police won’t agree with me, but I’d argue this is a rule you can comfortably ignore for everyday writing, business writing, journalism and all types of online communications.

In practical everyday writing there will be many cases when it simply doesn’t make sense to contort your sentences to avoid ending with a proposition. Your writing will be clearer and easier to understand.

And you’ll be in great company. Most newspaper style guides allow it, most popular authors and the overwhelming majority of modern literary authors simply sidestep the rule.

*Churchill was on my side in this. I suspect my boss didn’t realise the quote was said as a joke.

Further reading:
Better writing: Rhythm
Better writing: Companies are singular
Better writing: The inverted pyramid
Better writing: Keep it simple
Better writing: And
Better writing: Go easy on the adjectives
Better writing: Capital letters

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