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Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 23, 2019 23:52:21 GMT -5
How to Not End a Sentence with a Preposition. Yes I know! While increasingly socially acceptable in casual conversation, in most writing it's still not necessarily okay to end a sentence with a preposition. Personally, it is a major pet peeve of mine, and I almost enjoy correcting how a phrase would work better. While it may be preference for an editor or author and the tone of your material should be considered – maybe certain casual characters or dialogue should speak informally – not ending a sentence with a preposition also helps punch up your writing with tighter pace and impact words.
Acceptable use in songs and Marvin Gaye notwithstanding, Why say “What's going on?” in a tense literary moment when you can drop that leaving something hanging end in favor of a finite, desperate, “What's Happening?”
Using who, whom, what, when, where, why, or which correctly is often a great help. “What room is she in?” should be “Where is she?” Again, the first seems like a casual question, but the second provides impact with shorter, intense words. There is no ramble with extra trailing off words, but a finite Where. is. She seriousness.
Need a refresher on prepositions themselves? A great phrase to remember is “The mouse ran the trap.” Although during doesn't work and some make not make physical sense, most prepositions will fit this phrase. The mouse ran over the trap, under the trap, beside the trap, behind the trap.....
Here's a list of sentences that end in prepositions. Some of them came right from headlines and seemingly official media while others I thought of myself. How would you fix these?
Please quote the phrase in your post and show us your correction!
You won't believe how these major companies started out.
When is it on?
Where are you from?
Kylie Cosmetics is selling its Jordyn Woods-inspired lip kit for half off.
Do you want to come with?
I don't have anything to write with.
What are you looking at?
Leave me behind.
My cup runneth over.
Come in.
It lurks beneath.
These aren't the droids your looking for.
Did you leave the oven on?
It's going down!
Angelina Jolie and eldest kids have night out.
What happens after?
It's over.
Celebrity kids all grown up!
Look out!
I had trouble making up bad phrases because I kept correcting them in my head. Look at your work in progress. Do you see any sentences that ends in prepositions that you can fix? Show us how you punched up your worked, too!
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Post by kimrichards on Feb 24, 2019 16:29:22 GMT -5
You won't believe how these major companies started out. How these major companies began is surprising. When is it on? What time does "title of the show" begin? Where are you from? Where were you born? (or Where do you live?) Kylie Cosmetics is selling its Jordyn Woods-inspired lip kit for half off. You can buy the Jordyn Woods inspired lip kit for half price at Kylie Cosmetics. Do you want to come with? Would you like to ride with me to the concert? I don't have anything to write with. I don't have a pen or pencil. What are you looking at? I don't think I'd change this one.
Leave me behind. Go to the store without me. My cup runneth over. My life is filled with good things. Come in. Come inside the house. It lurks beneath. It lurks beneath the water. These aren't the droids your looking for. You aren't looking for these droids. Did you leave the oven on? Did you leave the oven turned on? It's going down! It's falling. Angelina Jolie and eldest kids have night out. Angelina Jolie has a night out with her eldest kids. What happens after? What happens after the concert ends? It's over. It's finished. Celebrity kids all grown up! These celebrity kids are adults. Look out! I wouldn't change this one because it's a warning so should be short.
These are fun to consider. I worry that the changes add to wordiness. Perhaps in dialogue is more acceptable than in the body text.
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Post by lilyauthor on Feb 24, 2019 17:28:02 GMT -5
in the 1994 movie With Honors that stars Joe Pesci, his character, Simon, has a confrontation with a Harvard professor. Simon, realizing things are not going to end well if he stays in the classroom, says, "Which door do I leave from?"
The professor says, "At Harvard, we never end a sentence with a preposition."
Without missing a beat, Simon replies, "Which door do I leave from, a**hole?"
The scene is hysterical.
For my own writing, I think it's good to be aware of things like prepositions. As a writer and a reader, ending a sentence with a preposition isn't a deal-breaker for me, as long as it's done for a reason.
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Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 24, 2019 19:01:11 GMT -5
Haha, yes, sometimes I catch myself and feel the need to add another word on the end to compensate. Kim is right in how sometimes it can be wordy, that joke from Beavis and Butthead, "In whose cabin they were a wackin'" Sometimes rather than adding an extra where, which, that or to whom which can really throw folks, it is better to change the wording altogether to keep things taut. I was coaching hockey and I said "Then you are going to pass the puck to whomever." They were all like huh what wtf so confused. So I had to say "Pass the puck to who you were going to pass it to." Then they were like, okay I get it. I said dang girls, you are grad students let's speak properly!
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Post by lilyauthor on Feb 24, 2019 19:12:54 GMT -5
Hahahaha...
I can just see it now.
Can Whomever raise their hand? Whose name is Whomever?
*crickets*
It seems to always come down to the same thing - less is more.
Side note I meant to add before. Having worked in marketing, advertising slogans are usually written by aliens from another planet. Good luck trying to convince anyone that their slogan doesn't make any grammatical sense. Yes, they do it on purpose. Sad, but true.
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Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 25, 2019 1:39:58 GMT -5
Just heard another one on tv, "The past is done with." Call me crazy but something like "It's in the past." Just sounds tighter.
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Post by lilyauthor on Feb 25, 2019 10:21:43 GMT -5
Oh that would drive me nuts. The past is done with what? what is the past done with? Ahhh!
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Post by afstewart on Feb 25, 2019 10:37:33 GMT -5
I would say in the main descriptive passages, it is better to avoid ending with prepositions, but dialogue poses a different challenge. In some cases wouldn't you want authentic, realistic sounding dialogue instead of strict grammar? Teenagers, for instance, are more likely to use sloppy grammar. If you want character voice, don't you need some flexibility?
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Post by lilyauthor on Feb 25, 2019 10:51:14 GMT -5
I would say in the main descriptive passages, it is better to avoid ending with prepositions, but dialogue poses a different challenge. In some cases wouldn't you want authentic, realistic sounding dialogue instead of strict grammar? Teenagers, for instance, are more likely to use sloppy grammar. If you want character voice, don't you need some flexibility? Ironic, isn't it? In natural dialogue, it's rarely grammatically correct. "Where are we going to?" That's okay. In prose, Where we are going to. Doesn't work.
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Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 25, 2019 12:24:30 GMT -5
Excellent points, ladies. When do you put away the editor pencil for an authentic characterization? There's probably a fine line in showing someone like a teen in a few casual phrases, but do you keep it clean overall? It is almost like when you are writing an accent, you can't go overboard with it, just a hint to keep the streamline clarity.
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Post by Admin Kbatz on Feb 25, 2019 12:25:35 GMT -5
And welcome Afstewart!
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Post by afstewart on Feb 25, 2019 13:43:12 GMT -5
Very true, it's all a balancing act. Too much authenticity can sound cliche or veer into caricature.
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