The English language grows and changes every day, which means grammar rules must change with it. One such rule is ending a sentence with a preposition. Yes, you can do it! In fact, I’d say you should!

First of all, what is a preposition? Prepositions show the relationship between words and, as the name suggests, often describe position or location: on, beside, above, to, between, behind, at, in, etc. Words and phrases such as except, prior to, as well as, and regarding are also prepositions.

For all those people who spend time rewriting sentences ending with prepositions, here are three reasons why you should end a sentence with one.

1. Avoid Awkward-Sounding Arrangements

In many instances, wording a phrase or sentence to avoid having a preposition at the end results in an awkward-sounding arrangement.

Example:
“About what is your book?” vs. “What is your book about?”

2. Omit Unnecessary Words

Worrying over having a preposition as the final word often adds unnecessary words to convey the same thought.

Example:
“The table on which the lamp is sitting” vs. “the table the lamp is on”

3. Don’t Sound Pompous

If you think rewording your sentences to avoid saying a preposition at the end makes you sound smarter, it doesn’t, especially in conversation.

Example:
“For what is that?” vs. “What is that for?”

Ending a sentence with a preposition may still be frowned upon in academic writing, so I don’t recommend it if you’re writing your doctoral thesis, but in other instances, especially in fiction, you most definitely should end a sentence with a preposition.