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Jul 17, 2024 · Also Read: 23 Common Grammar Mistakes in English to Avoid From Now On. Ending Sentences with Prepositions. Yes, you can end a sentence with a preposition in the English language. While traditional grammar rules often discourage this, modern usage accepts it as natural and correct in many contexts. Here are some examples to justify this statement.
- The Oxford Comma. Debates regarding whether the Oxford comma should keep on being used are comparable to those about the death penalty and/or abortion. Seriously.
- The pronunciation of "controversial" Go figure. Americans stand divided over whether to pronounce it "con-truh-VUR-see-yul" or "con-truh-VUR-shal." You don't even have to hop a plane across the pond to take part in the battle.
- Double negatives. Although grammatically correct, debates regarding the permissibility of double negatives keep flaring up from time to time. Talks apparently originated when linguists pondered acceptance of the often controversial African-American Vernacular English, within which the grammar tweak is quite common.
- "Irregardless" "Irregardless" appears in at least three different official dictionaries, though all of them admit it's not exactly formal. More traditional grammar aficionados don't think the word deserves to move beyond its slang origins, while others think it's about time the rule-makers acknowledge the evolution.
English is spoken worldwide, and the Standard Written English grammar generally taught in schools around the world will vary only slightly. Nonetheless, disputes can sometimes arise: for example, it is a matter of some debate in India whether British , American , or Indian English is the best form to use.
- The Oxford Comma
- Two Spaces After A Period
- Punctuation Inside Or Outside Quotation Marks
- Possessive Apostrophes For Words Ending in “S”
- When to Use What Dash Mark
- Prepositions at The End of A Sentence
- Splitting Infinitives
- Starting Sentences with Conjunctions
- Flat Adverbs
- Gender-Neutral Pronouns
It seems like the debate about whether to use the Oxford comma (a.k.a. the “serial comma”) will always be around. Some style guides petition for it to be used and others contend that it should never be used. So, who’s “right”? We may never know for sure.
Before word processors and computers were widely used, typewriters were used to type important documents, and it was common practice to insert two spaces after every sentence typed with a typewriter for better readability. Some businesses, industries, and teachers still require individuals typing documents on word processors now to insert two space...
Whether to, when, and where to put quotation marks is a global debate. The debate is mainly between grammarians in the U.S. and grammarians in Britain. The Brits call placing quotation marks outside punctuation in certain circumstances, “logical punctuation”. Read this illuminating Slate articleabout the nuances of this debate.
Is it “Wales’ population’” or “Wales’s population”? Did you know that in 2007 the Arkansas house voted to officially denote possessives as "Arkansas's" instead of the more standard "Arkansas'"? (Chicago Tribune) So, while some grammarians might think it’s always critical to denote possession of a plural noun ending in an “s” with an apostrophe, lan...
With the growing popularity and widespread use of social media and online content sharing, many people are beginning to forgo commas for dashes. And they’re using dashes of all shapes and sizes in a variety of ways. While some grammarians will claim that the length of the dash mark and what it’s notating are important, critics will claim that since...
Some individuals claim that ending a sentence with a preposition is fine if the sentence is clear and more meaningful because of its placement at the end of the sentence. In fact, some think that it’s necessary to end a sentence with a preposition so that it remains natural-sounding and conversational. Strict grammarians contest this.
The most famous split infinitive known today is probably the Star Trek slogan, “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Writers split infinitives all the time for emphatic effect, but some grammarians and editors cringe at the practice. Do you think that adding an adverb in between “to” and the verb of a sentence is out of the question allthe t...
Many writers start sentences with conjunctions (and, or, but). They do this to create a conversational tone and to avoid run-on sentences. Yet some individuals out there still claim that this practice is highly ungrammatical.
Do you “drive safely” or “drive safe?” Technically the more flat or simple adverb “safe” is regarded as incorrect, yet grammarians will still claim that it is the more correct option.
While the English language does contain a gender-neutral pronoun, “it,” the pronoun is only used to refer to inanimate objects and not people. So, instead of using “he” or “she,” a lot of writers will resort to using the plural “they” when referring to a singular person who doesn’t conform to traditional gender identities, or when an unidentified p...
- Phil Jamieson
In fact, if you only need a one sentence to express this idea, you’re under no obligation to waffle on just to satisfy some false rule. Some people believe that you shouldn’t end your sentences with a preposition: However, it’s frequently the case that the meaning of a sentence is clearest when structured so that the preposition is at the ...
Mar 1, 2010 · "Usage is a concept that embraces many aspects of and attitudes toward language. Grammar is certainly only a small part of what goes to make up usage, though some people use one term for the other, as when they label what is really a controversial point of usage a grammatical error," according to "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary."
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Mar 3, 2014 · Reasons for starting a sentence with a conjunction may include simplifying a long and complex sentence or emphasizing the conjunction itself. Although you can break this rule, try not to get ...
