Never end a sentence with a preposition.

—Did YOUR middle-school teacher try to sell you that “rule,” too?

And did she also teach you, “It’s wrong grammatically” to use a preposition that way?

Well, she sold you 2 heaps of crap.

⬇️

Here’s evidence, with some important caveats to think about & references for further reading.

1️⃣ BRYAN A. GARNER

“The spurious rule about not ending sentences with prepositions is a remnant of Latin grammar, in which a preposition was the one word that a writer could not end a sentence with. . . .

But if the SUPERSTITION is a ‘rule’ at all, it is not a rule of rhetoric and not of grammar, the idea being to end sentences with strong words that drive a point home. . . .

Good writers don’t hesitate to end their sentences with prepositions if doing so results in phrasing that seems natural.”

—Garner’s Modern Legal English Usage, 4th ed. (2016), 723-24.

2️⃣ WAYNE SCHEISS

“Some professors and lawyers enforce a rule against ending a sentence, or even a clause, with a preposition. . . .

There is no such rule.”

👉 BUT . . .

“Ending a sentence with a preposition might be considered informal, so if you’re writing for a professor or lawyer who follows the rule, you might have to follow it, too.”

—Fine Points for Legal Writing (2019), 32-33:

3️⃣ GRAMMAR GIRL

“Yes, you can end a sentence with a preposition.”

“Nearly all grammarians” DENOUNCE any strict rule against sentence-ending prepositions, and any such rule is “a myth.” (citing sources)

👉 BUT . . .

“[T]he myth is so prevalent, there are times when you should avoid doing it even though I’m saying it isn’t wrong.

For example, when you’re writing a cover letter to a potential employer, don’t end a sentence with a preposition.”

—Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips, “Ending a Sentence with a Preposition,” Dec. 3, 2020.

* * * * * * *

As for me, I am always trying to become a better, more informed writer.

But old habits die hard.

And so, I’ve been trying diligently for a while now to unlearn what I’d long been taught.

—Taking 6 years of Latin, working long-term with a client who enforced the no-preposition-ending “rule,” and other influences did not serve me well that way.

I still find myself regularly rearranging sentences to avoid sentence-ending prepositions—w/o awkward wording.

👉 At the end of the day, I find most (but not all) sentences will read better once refigured to avoid the preposition-ending dilemma.

—That’s a style preference, though, not a grammar rule.

Fondly,

💌 Amanda

🗳️ What’s your practice on prepositions?

#DearLegalWriter