History Main / PrepositionsAreNotToEndSentencesWith

-->'''Yorick:''' "I knew I wanted to keep living in any world that you were a part of. But that was hard to admit to myself, and not just because it ended with a preposition."

This is actually applying Latin grammar rules to English, and while some of those can actually apply in the latter language (like no double negatives), this one doesn't (same with splitting infinitives, which is ''impossible'' in Latin). Many sentences just don't flow in English if this rule is shoehorned in, and evidence has been shown that ending sentences with prepositions has been in the language since Anglo-Saxon. The blind insistence that Latin represented the "perfect" language and all other language grammars must be shoe-horned into Latin grammatical conventions bedevilled foreign language learning in Great Britain until well into the 20th century. Even utterly unrelated languages like Irish and Scottish Gaelic were forced into a Latinate grammatical analysis they were not intended for. And in schools, "English Grammar" in practice meant applying Latin structure to a Germanic language, much to the bewilderment of pupils. This was the case even into the 1970's in many schools.

* ''Franchise/ScaryMovie 4'' does this with Brenda in the ''Film/TheVillage'' parody.

--> '''Creator/LarryTheCableGuy:''' Hey, tell 'em about the one you did over at the whatcha-callit.\\
'''Creator/JeffFoxworthy:''' [pause] Yeah, Bill. Tell 'em about the one you did over at the whatcha-callit.\\

'''Jeff:''' He's an over-achiever.\\

Compare with PrepositionalPhraseEqualsCoolness and YodaSpeak.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtheadDoAmerica'', Agent Flemming admonishes a fellow ATF agent for doing this. That agent then ties his sentences in knots trying to get around this. [softreturn] Having learned the lesson, the latter later stumbles again and attempts to paraphrase, only to be reprimanded [[DamnedIfYouDoDamnedIfYouDont for getting preoccupied with unimportant things when it's an emergency.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtheadDoAmerica'', Agent Flemming admonishes a fellow ATF agent for doing this. That agent then ties his sentences in knots trying to get around this.

This is actually applying Latin grammar rules to English, and while some of those can actually apply in the latter language (like no double negatives), this one doesn't (same with splitting infinitives, which is ''impossible'' in Latin). Many sentences just don't flow in English if this rule is shoehorned in, and evidence has been shown that ending sentences with prepositions has been in the language since Anglo-Saxon. The blind insistence that Latin represented the "perfect" language and all other language grammars must be shoe-horned into Latin grammaticsl conventions bedevilled foreign language learning in Great Britain until well into the 20th century. Even utterly unrelated languages like Irish and Scottish Gaelic were forced into a Latinate grammatical analysis they were not intended for. And in schools, "English Grammar" in practice meant applying Latin structure to a Germanic language, much to the bewilderment of pupils. This was the case even into the 1970's in many schools.

This is actually applying Latin grammar rules to English, and while some of those can actually apply in the latter language (like no double negatives), this one doesn't (same with splitting infinitives, which is ''impossible'' in Latin). Many sentences just don't flow in English if this rule is shoehorned in, and evidence has been shown that ending sentences with prepositions has been in the language since Anglo-Saxon.

See also PrepositionalPhraseEqualsCoolness to compare with.

-->--[[AuthorsOfQuote Attributed]] to '''Winston Churchill''', on being criticized for this

As noted in the link, the word is a lot more complex than it seems, and not every use of a word that looks like a preposition actually is one. But the most well-known thing about them is that you ''supposedly'' cannot end sentences with them (also known as stranding a preposition).

* ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan''. Yorick, as an English major, is somewhat pedantic about language usage. Even during his final declaration of love.

--> '''Mountie #1''': Oh really. Well, what would you say?\\
'''Mountie #2''': Well, I guess I'd say either, "Go back from where you came", or the preferred Queen's English, "[[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe Go back, thee, from whence thou came.]]"

-->'''Simon Wilder:''' Which door do I leave from?\\

** A similar exchange occurred in some greeting card:
-->'''Woman 1:''' Where's your birthday party at?\\

-->"I asked this Northern woman, 'Where are ya'll from?' And she said, 'I'm from a place where we don't end our sentences with prepositions.' So I said, 'Okay, where are ya'll from, bitch?'"
* ''{{Frasier}}'':

** In another episode Frasier corrects a caller who uses the word "literally" in the completely wrong way, bringing said caller to get angry about people who "nit-pick on your grammar when they come to you for help".
--> '''Doug:''' '''''That's what I got a problem with!''''' [''Hangs up'']\\

-->'''Sam''': She's trying to become the kind of waitress that you'd enjoy being waited on by.\\
'''Diane''': You just ended that sentence with two prepositions...\\
'''Sam''': Don't you have customers to deal with?\\
'''Diane''': That ended with a preposition, too...\\
'''Sam''': Don't you have customers to deal with, mullet head?

* In one episode of ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'', Mr. Wick threatens to fire the next employee who ends a sentence with a preposition, [[HypocriticalHumor immediately following the threat by saying]], "Now, where has Mimi gotten to? ({{Beat}}) ...He inquired!"
* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', a fifteen-year-old North Korean physics genius who has only been speaking English for one and a half years pulls this one out. Leonard tells him he speaks English well, and he responds by condescendingly saying that Leonard does as well, except for the fact that he regularly ends his sentences with prepositions. Then Leonard asks, "What are you talking about?"

* In ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' Combined with ''FlippingTheBird''
-->'''Alan:''' Jake,why did you flip Miss Pasternak off?\\

* In one of the ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' comics that appeared in ''{{Magazine/Dragon}}'' magazine, Vaarsuvius rages at a pair of undead who end ''every single sentence'' with a preposition. When Durkon reproaches him for acting like an uptight English teacher, Vaarsuvius replies, "[[TranslationConvention What is this 'English' of which you speak?"]]

* This is what sparks the [[HilarityEnsues hilarity]] in the ''WebVideo/HitlerRants'' video "Downfall of Grammar".

!!InUniverseExamplesOnly:

'''Mountie #2''': Well, I guess I'd say either, "Go back from where you came", or the preferred Queen's English, "Go back, thee, from whence thou came."

* One ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' episode has one of the villains wondering why O'Neill isn't doing the quips he's become famous for. Later on, O'Neill obliged.

* Gold Key's adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/TheInspector'' ccartoon "Le Quiet Squad" has Sgt. Deux-Deux barging in on the Inspector:

-->'''Deux-Deux:'' Inspector! I have spotted something you may be interested in!

'''Deux-Deux:'' Inspector! I have spotted something you may be interested in!
'''Inspector:''' Sergeant! How many times must I tell you...''never'' end a sentence with a preposition! You should have said "in which you may be interested!"
'''Deux-Deux:''' Sì.

-->--[[AuthorsOfQuote Attributed]] to '''WinstonChurchill''', on being criticized for this

* ''Film/WithHonors'':

'''Proffesor Pitkannan:''' At Harvard we don't end our sentences with prepositions.\\

** In another episode Frasier corrects a caller who uses the word "literally" in the complete wrong way, bringing said caller to get angry about people who "nit-pick on your grammar when they come to you for help".

* In one episode of ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'', Mr. Wick threatens to fire the next employee who ends a sentence with a preposition, [[HypocriticalHumor immediately following the threat by saying]], "Now, where has Mimi gotten to? ({{Beat}}) ...he inquired!"

In fiction, there are different reactions to this. The person who states the rule might be accused of being a GrammarNazi. Or those called on for doing this might reply in a snarky manner, a common spin being repeating the sentence but concluding with an insult ("Where do you come from, bitch?"). Or those called on might instead try their best to avoid breaking this rule. Basically it's [[RuleOfFunny whichever is funnier]].

->''"That is the kind of arrant pedantry [[HypocriticalHumor up with which I will not put.]]"''

* In his column, [[http://www.theatermania.com/peterfilichia/ Peter Filichia]] objected to a lyric from "[[DirtyRottenScoundrels Great Big Stuff]]" because he felt that the character wouldn't use a sentence that ended with a preposition. The composer later [[http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/06-2005/lyrical-cure_6108.html wrote to him]] and defended his lyric by saying the line [[RuleOfFunny just made him laugh]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead Do America'', Agent Flemming admonishes a fellow ATF agent for doing this. That agent then ties his sentences in knots trying to get around this.

'''Pasternak:'' Excuse me. We don't end our sentences with prepositions. We say, "Why did you flip off Miss Pasternak?"\\
'''Charlie:'' I think that answers your question.

'''Charlie:''' I think that answers your question.

'''Pasternak:'' Excuse me. We don't end our sentences with prepositions. We say,"Why did you flip off Miss Pasternak?"\\