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Re: Ending a sentence with a preposition (#897726) -Reply
Subject:Re: Ending a sentence with a preposition (#897726) -Reply From:Bill Sullivan <bsullivan -at- SMTPLINK -dot- DELTECPOWER -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 19 Sep 1996 09:53:42 -0700
Hi Brad,
> I don't think that the rule for not ending a sentence with a
preposition is based upon Latin grammar. Anybody know for sure?
In his article on "preposition at end," Fowler says: "Those who lay
down the universal principle that final prepositions are 'inelegant'
are unconsciously trying to deprive the English language of a
valuable idiomatic resource, which has been used freely by all our
greatest writers except those whose instinct for English idiom has
been overpowered by notions of correctness derived from Latin
standards."
Bill
PS -- As a guy who studied Latin for 6 years and felt it was
incredibly profitable, I hate to see this interpreted to mean that
the study of Latin is a waste of time and should be done away with.
It's like reading the Wall Street Journal, you know? You have to
know what to accept and what to say "Thank you very much" to.
Bill Sullivan
bsullivan -at- deltecpower -dot- com
San Diego, California
