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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Ending sentences with prepositions #127568 04/20/2004 12:12 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 If one were to gently chide a grammar nazi for ending a sentence with a preposition, should one use a comma as in "…the preposition, with which the sentence was ended" or not as in "…the preposition with which the sentence was ended"? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit No comma #127569 04/20/2004 12:23 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York You don't want what looks like a dependent clause just dangling there. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: No comma #127570 04/20/2004 12:26 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 We're saying that it's a restrictive clause? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: No comma #127571 04/20/2004 12:35 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York I am. But that's just me. Maybe, if you're not in a hurry, we should wait for others to weigh in. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: No comma #127572 04/20/2004 1:01 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 I'm not in a hurry. I checked out the infamous 'Churchill' quote (for which there seems to be no evidence that he ever attually® said it) and there seems to be only one of the many variants that has a comma in it. http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/churchill.html I was hoping to hear from Father Steve on this but he's been pretty mum lately. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: No comma #127573 04/20/2004 3:43 PM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 RhubarbCommando Pooh-Bah RhubarbCommando Pooh-Bah Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 A bit ironic, really - Father being mum. However, on a more serious note, my grammar check (for what little it is worth ) accepts the sentence with or without a comma. Personally, I prefer it without but I think it might depend a little upon exactly what the beginnig of the sentence said, and how long it took to say. (i.e., is there a difference, from this point of view, between a simple and a complex sentence?) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Ending sentences with prepositions #127574 04/20/2004 5:20 PM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 4,757 maverick Carpal Tunnel maverick Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 4,757 If one were to gently chide a grammar nazi Don't. It'll end in tears ;) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit grammar nazis #127575 04/25/2004 10:45 PM Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 34 tang newbie tang newbie Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 34 If one were to gently chide a grammar nazi ... Don't. It'll end in tears ;) Or Kristallnacht. Never in-fuehrer-ate a grammar nazi. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: No comma #127576 04/27/2004 12:16 AM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA If a preposition is not that with which to end a sentence, then what is it for? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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