How About That ?

It's official, again, as Merriam-Webster stated in an online post that a sentence can end with a preposition. 

As someone who writes a lot, this declaration was much appreciated. Admittedly, I know I've not adhered to the former "rule" about prepositions. How about you?.

Now, the long-held authority on the English language has unleashed writers (as we all are at one time or another) from the constraints of what many have long regarded as a grammatical faux-pas. 

To be sure, dictionary publishers like Merriam-Webster are not rule makers nor rule breakers, but rather report how language is used and how people speak.

Among grammarians and lexicographers, Merriam-Webster's declarations are widely accepted. That's because for over 150 years, in print and now online, its been America's leading provider of language information.

This isn't the first time the online dictionary has tried to end the end preposition prohibition. As with many long-held beliefs, it's a tough one to dislodge with such a centuries old stronghold. 

Prepositions are common in the English language with over 150 in use, including these common ones: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with and within.

If the ending preposition is "permissible" and "not wrong" is it right?

That depends on whether or not you agree with the Merriam-Webster declaration.

In its online post, the dictionary publisher stated: It is permissible in English for a preposition to be what you end a sentence with." 

The post continued, The idea that it should be avoided came from writers who were trying to align the language with Latin, but there is no reason to suggest ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong.

The people who claim that a terminal preposition is wrong are clinging to an idea born in the 17th century and largely abandoned by grammar and usage experts in the early 20th.

Soon enough, the post ignited emphatic responses. Many of the respondents were steadfast in believing that a concluding preposition was lazy or unusual; others embraced the permission.

Why such a reaction?

Merriam-Webster touched on a heretofore grammar no-no of ending a sentence with a preposition, a restriction that many, including myself, have grown up with from primary school. That lead to finding ways to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. 

Learning there's no such rule was a big deal for some who still cling onto a long-held belief. Personally, I'm delighted to let it go. (Advance apology if you get an ear worm from the song , Let it Go,  from the Disney film, Frozen.)

Who Made This Rule & When?

This grammar issue has been a concern for years. There's dissent on how it became common to admonish those who ended a sentence with an of, to, through or with. 

The story dates to the 17th century and involves two Englishmen, grammarian and rhetorician, Joshua Poole, and John Dryden, poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright. Both men along with others wanted to make English more like Latin. 

English poet John Dryden

In 1668, Dryden was appointed England's first Poet Laureate and, in 1672, he chastised English playwright and poet Ben Jonson stating: The preposition in the end of the sentence; a common fault with him. Jonson himself wasn't concerned with this criticism, he had died years earlier in 1637.

It's a shared issue as many credit Poole with creating the rule and Dryden for popularizing it. Both men and others wanted to make English grammar more like Latin, a language in which a structurally sound sentence can't and with a preposition.

In the 18th century, some folks decided Dryden was correct and began advising against the end preposition.

Sometimes, the advice was never to end a sentence with a preposition. Other times it was more general, for instance, Noah Webster, in a 1784 book on grammar, advised against separating prepositions from the words which they govern. He conceded that grammarians seem to allow of this mode of expression in conversation and familiar writings, but it is generally considered inelegant, and in the grave and sublime styles, is certainly inadmissible.

Even though there's no reason to suggest ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong. The idea that was a rule became widespread.

By the 20th century, however, most grammar and usage guides had concluded that there was nothing wrong with terminal (end) prepositions. In fact, there has been, for about 100 years now, near unanimity in this regard from usage guides. The matter must therefore be settled, right?

Apparently, that wasn't exactly the case.

Those determined to hold onto the "rule," no matter how many times they're informed that it really isn’t one, find the end preposition so annoying. According to articles I read, they've gone so far as to contact the editor of a newspaper when they find an occurrence.

English statesman Winston Churchill

In a similar vein, many who like to use end prepositions will give some mangled version of a quote incorrectly attributed to English statesman Winston Churchill, This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put. 

The story goes that when an overzealous editor attempted to rearrange one of Churchill's sentences to avoid it ending in a preposition, the Prime Minister scribbled the single sentence in response. Like so many Churchill quotes, this was almost certainly never said by him, but it does make for a great anecdote.

What to Know

Not only can you end a sentence with a preposition, but there's no problem doing it. In many sentences, where it's been avoided, it would have been better to have ended with a preposition. 

If you don’t like to end your sentences with prepositions, it's OK too, just don’t claim it's a rule. Conversely, if you prefer to end sentences using with or to, that's OK too. But, don’t quote Churchill when someone says that you shouldn’t.

Merriam-Webster captioned its now controversial post: That's what we're talking about which sounds much better than: That's about what we are talking?

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated is an American company that publishes reference books and is the oldest dictionary publisher in the U.S. In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the company as G & C Merriam Co. in Springfield, MA. In 1843, after the death of Noah Webster, the company bought the rights to An American Dictionary of the English Language from his estate. All Merriam-Webster dictionaries trace their lineage to this source. In 1964, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., acquired Merriam-Webster, Inc., as a subsidiary. The company adopted its current name, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, in 1982.

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