Can you end sentences with prepositions?

Were you taught that a preposition should never be placed at the end of a sentence? There are times when it would be rather awkward to organize a sentence in a way that would avoid doing this, for example:

• in some passive expressions:

√ The dress had not even been paid for.

X Paid for the dress had not even been.

√ The match was rained off.

X Rained off was the match.

• in relative clauses and questions that include verbs with linked adverbs or prepositions:

√ What did you put that there for?

X For what [reason] did you put that there?

√ They must be convinced of the commitment they are taking on.

X Of the commitment they are taking on they must be convinced.

There’s no necessity to ban prepositions from the end of sentences. Ending a sentence with a preposition is a perfectly natural part of the structure of modern English.

You can read more about ending sentences with a preposition on the Oxford Dictionaries blog. Here you will find more information about prepositions and their relationship with other elements.

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