Exception to the General Rule of Prepositions

DGS49

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2012
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We are all taught that it is vulgar or "bad form" to end a sentence with a preposition. It usually adds nothing to the meaning of the sentence, in addition to making you sound like a moron, to wit...

"Where are you going to?"

versus

"Where are you going?"

On the other hand, one British wag coined an example of how silly it can become when "we" modify some sentences to avoid this faux pas: "The practice of ending sentences with a preposition is one, up with which we will not put!" So the rule has some limitation.

But I read an article this morning on the "remarkable" return to form of one Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods, and the following statement was quoted: "It's impressive where he's at."

Is this OK?

Clearly, the speaker is not talking about the physical or geographical location of the subject human. Indeed, nobody cares where Tiger Woods IS, but golf aficionados might well care where he is at...meaning the point to which he has progressed in his rehabilitation. And listeners to that speaker understood clearly the meaning of the statement. THEY didn't care where Woods was located, but were keen to hear this assessment of where he was at.

It's so distressing.
􏱆􏰏􏰭􏰸􏰢􏰝􏰨􏰫 􏰯􏰜􏰠􏰢􏰢􏰝􏰴􏰠􏰪􏰶􏰠􏰜􏰠􏰶􏰠􏰸􏰢􏰥􏰭􏰂􏱏
 
We are all taught that it is vulgar or "bad form" to end a sentence with a preposition. It usually adds nothing to the meaning of the sentence, in addition to making you sound like a moron, to wit...

"Where are you going to?"

versus

"Where are you going?"

On the other hand, one British wag coined an example of how silly it can become when "we" modify some sentences to avoid this faux pas: "The practice of ending sentences with a preposition is one, up with which we will not put!" So the rule has some limitation.

But I read an article this morning on the "remarkable" return to form of one Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods, and the following statement was quoted: "It's impressive where he's at."

Is this OK?

Clearly, the speaker is not talking about the physical or geographical location of the subject human. Indeed, nobody cares where Tiger Woods IS, but golf aficionados might well care where he is at...meaning the point to which he has progressed in his rehabilitation. And listeners to that speaker understood clearly the meaning of the statement. THEY didn't care where Woods was located, but were keen to hear this assessment of where he was at.

It's so distressing.
􏱆􏰏􏰭􏰸􏰢􏰝􏰨􏰫 􏰯􏰜􏰠􏰢􏰢􏰝􏰴􏰠􏰪􏰶􏰠􏰜􏰠􏰶􏰠􏰸􏰢􏰥􏰭􏰂􏱏
/—-/ As my high school English teacher said, “Never use a preposition to end a sentence with.”
 
A lot of grammar rules are a lot more fluid than the layman tends to realize. People that get pedantic about grammar technicalities often don't have a deep understanding of language and writing in general.
 




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We are all taught that it is vulgar or "bad form" to end a sentence with a preposition. It usually adds nothing to the meaning of the sentence, in addition to making you sound like a moron, to wit...
 

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