...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With
- 139 statements
- 26 feature instances
- 12 referencing feature instances
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | type |
FeatureClass | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | label |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | page |
PrepositionsAreNotToEndSentencesWith | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | comment |
A preposition, a specific type of adposition, is a word describing a relationship between two nouns. These include words such as "on", "to", "beneath", "before", etc. As noted in the link, the word is a lot more complex than it seems, and not every use of a word that looks like a preposition is one. But the most well-known thing about them is that you supposedly cannot end sentences with them (also known as stranding a preposition). One oft-claimed source of this is some overzealous grammarians' attempts to apply Latin grammar rules to English, and while some of those can actually apply in the latter language (like no double negatives), this one doesn't (same with splitting infinitives, which is impossible in Latin). Many sentences just don't flow in English if this rule is shoehorned in, and evidence has been shown that ending sentences with prepositions has been in the language since Anglo-Saxon. Some grammarians analyzed other languages, even quite unrelated languages such as Irish or Scottish Gaelic, with models based upon Latin grammar, to various degrees of success and correctness. A more concrete source of this grammar superstition is an English grammarian named Robert Lowth, who wrote the highly-influential A Short Introduction to English Grammar in 1762. He actually discussed, in his grammar, separating prepositions from the relative that they govern. He said that it was an idiom "which our language is strongly inclined to" and fit the "familiar style" but did not fit the "solemn and elevated style". In other words, his critique of this was based upon style, not grammar. Unfortunately, some teachers and grammarians probably misinterpreted this as an absolute rule, whence came the superstition. Lowth himself warned against overapplication of Latin rules to English. In fiction, there are different reactions to this. The person who states the rule might be accused of being a Grammar Nazi. Or those called on for doing this might reply in a snarky manner, a common spin being repeating the sentence but concluding with an insult ("Where do you come from, bitch?"). Or those called on might instead try their best to avoid breaking this rule. Basically it's whichever is funnier. If someone tries to call you on this, tell them that the Oxford University English Department says it's perfectly acceptable, and that you recognize no higher authority. And then say something that ends in "off". Can often invoke In Which a Trope Is Described, the title of which is the pedant's version of 'a trope is described in'. Compare with Prepositional Phrase Equals Coolness and Strange-Syntax Speaker. |
|
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | fetched |
2023-11-05T15:31:53Z | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | parsed |
2023-11-05T15:31:53Z | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | processingComment |
Dropped link to HilarityEnsues: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | processingComment |
Dropped link to InsufferableGenius: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_16c96172 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_16c96172 | comment |
Gold Key's adaptation of The Inspector cartoon "Le Quiet Squad" has Sgt. Deux-Deux barging in on the Inspector: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_16c96172 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_16c96172 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Inspector | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_16c96172 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_2350acad | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_2350acad | comment |
In Cheers episode "Diane's Nightmare", Diane dreams that Sam's boorishness has just been an act for the bar patrons; he's actually cultured and erudite. As he plays her a classical piano piece of his own composition, she embraces him and says, "Forget the piano. Let me be the instrument you play on." Sam's response: "Diane, do you realize you just ended that proposition... with a preposition?" This is a Running Gag between those two, first used in "The Tortelli Tort". When Ed threatens to sue the bar over Carla assaulting him, Sam tries to convince him that Carla is getting therapy for her anger problems: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_2350acad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_2350acad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Cheers | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_2350acad | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_290fc5d2 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_290fc5d2 | comment |
The Wolf of Snow Hollow: One of the murder victims has an angry voicemail on her work phone from a man. He conspicuously words his final sentence in a non-conversational manner so that it doesn't end in a preposition. In the process, he also uses the word "whom," which John comments on. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_290fc5d2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_290fc5d2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Wolf of Snow Hollow | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_290fc5d2 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_39429ca9 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_39429ca9 | comment |
With Honors: A homeless man attending a class at Harvard (long story) gets in an argument with the Professor. So when he wants to leave, this exchange happens: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_39429ca9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_39429ca9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| With Honors | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_39429ca9 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_3f4a104b | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_3f4a104b | comment |
An early Dilbert strip had a woman saying, "Up I hic!" In the last panel, Dogbert clarified that she's an English teacher. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_3f4a104b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_3f4a104b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Dilbert (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_3f4a104b | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_475972f0 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_475972f0 | comment |
Y: The Last Man: Yorick, as an English major, is somewhat pedantic about language usage. Even during his final declaration of love. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_475972f0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_475972f0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Y: The Last Man (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_475972f0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_4e45b093 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_4e45b093 | comment |
In The Big Bang Theory episode "The Jerusalem Duality", fifteen-year-old North Korean physics genius Dennis Kim, who has only been speaking English for a year and a half, pulls this one out. Leonard tells Dennis that he speaks English well, only to receive the condescending response that Leonard does as well, except for the fact that he regularly ends his sentences with prepositions. Then Leonard asks, "What are you talking about?", and Dennis quickly lampshades this (thence to become Sheldon's new Sitcom Archnemesis). | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_4e45b093 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_4e45b093 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Big Bang Theory | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_4e45b093 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5439ec9c | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5439ec9c | comment |
In one Mother Goose and Grimm strip, a delivery man asks Ham the pig "Where should I put these groceries at?" After Ham corrects the guy's grammar, the grocer corrects himself with "Where should I put these groceries at, slimeball?" | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5439ec9c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5439ec9c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Mother Goose and Grimm (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5439ec9c | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5755b96a | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5755b96a | comment |
In one of the The Order of the Stick comics that appeared in Dragon magazine, Vaarsuvius rages at a pair of undead who end every single sentence with a preposition. When Durkon reproaches him for acting like an uptight English teacher, Vaarsuvius replies, "What is this 'English' of which you speak?" | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5755b96a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5755b96a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Order of the Stick (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5755b96a | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5d354f8 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5d354f8 | comment |
In one of the Red Dwarf script books, Grant Naylor say that they're often asked "Where do you get your ideas from?" and that this question always annoys them because it ends with a preposition "and as we all know, that's not something you should end a sentence with. Damn." | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5d354f8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5d354f8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Red Dwarf | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_5d354f8 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_627b3897 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_627b3897 | comment |
An episode of Everybody Loves Raymond deals with Ray Barone being asked to make informed comment on the amount and quality of homework assigned to kids at his daughter's school. Being Ray, he neglects this task and his mother has to bail him out. She chews him up for ending sentences with a preposition. He also does this when reporting back to the school's governors. One turns to the English teacher and says. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_627b3897 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_627b3897 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Everybody Loves Raymond | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_627b3897 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_70814599 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_70814599 | comment |
One Stargate SG-1 episode has one of the villains wondering why O'Neill isn't doing the quips he's become famous for. Later on, O'Neill obliges. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_70814599 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_70814599 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stargate SG-1 | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_70814599 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_77b0e7e6 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_77b0e7e6 | comment |
In Canadian Bacon, one of the Mounties tells the heroes to "go back to where you came from." The other Mountie tells him that you can't end your sentence with a preposition, and proceed to debate this while the heroes escape. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_77b0e7e6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_77b0e7e6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Canadian Bacon | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_77b0e7e6 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c038c18 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c038c18 | comment |
Phineas and Ferb: In the first episode, "Rollercoaster", Phineas complains about not having anything interesting to do during summer vacation, saying "Boredom is something up with which I will not put!" | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c038c18 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c038c18 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Phineas and Ferb | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c038c18 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4e51e1 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4e51e1 | comment |
In Designing Women Charlene tells this old anecdote: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4e51e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4e51e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Designing Women | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4e51e1 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4f1adb | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4f1adb | comment |
Our Miss Brooks: Miss Brooks more than once corrects herself after ending a sentence with a preposition. Or others. One example is found in the episode "Heat Wave", when Stretch Snodgrass pretended to faint on a hot day. Miss Brooks unbuttons his collar, which had concealed the Old-Timey Bathing Suit. The students were trying to trick Miss Brooks into releasing class so they can go to the swimming hole at Phillip's Farm. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4f1adb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4f1adb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Our Miss Brooks (Radio) | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_7c4f1adb | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_83e716b1 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_83e716b1 | comment |
In The Last Man on Earth, Carol the pedantic Grammar Nazi annoys Phil to no end by insisting on correcting him every time he ends a sentence with a preposition. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_83e716b1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_83e716b1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Last Man on Earth | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_83e716b1 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_89bf8ce | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_89bf8ce | comment |
In 30 Rock Tracy Jordan tells an intern "You shouldn't end a sentence with a proposition at". | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_89bf8ce | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_89bf8ce | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| 30 Rock | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_89bf8ce | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_923dd091 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_923dd091 | comment |
Played for laughs in CollegeHumor's parody of Inglourious Basterds: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_923dd091 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_923dd091 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| CollegeHumor | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_923dd091 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93683e89 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93683e89 | comment |
A Not the Nine O'Clock News sketch has this as its punchline. A student is scolded by the headmaster for failure to improve in his schoolwork. It turns out he's been using slightly-modified versions of his admission essay ("My aunt, who I live with, used to have a parrot...") whenever he has to write a paper. After going over some examples, the headmaster yells: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93683e89 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93683e89 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Not the Nine O'Clock News | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93683e89 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93dc2587 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93dc2587 | comment |
In Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, Agent Flemming admonishes a fellow ATF agent for doing this. That agent then ties his sentences in knots trying to get around this. Having learned the lesson, the latter later stumbles again and attempts to paraphrase, only to be reprimanded for getting preoccupied with unimportant things when it's an emergency. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93dc2587 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93dc2587 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Beavis and Butt-Head Do America | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_93dc2587 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_974f7efb | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_974f7efb | comment |
In one episode of The Drew Carey Show, Mr. Wick threatens to fire the next employee who ends a sentence with a preposition, immediately following the threat by saying, "Now, where has Mimi gotten to? (Beat) ...He inquired!" | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_974f7efb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_974f7efb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Drew Carey Show | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_974f7efb | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_9b891ef2 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_9b891ef2 | comment |
Scary Movie 4 does this with Brenda in its parody of The Village (2004). | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_9b891ef2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_9b891ef2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Scary Movie | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_9b891ef2 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_c1bf1af4 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_c1bf1af4 | comment |
In Two and a Half Men combined with Flipping the Bird: | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_c1bf1af4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_c1bf1af4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Two and a Half Men | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_c1bf1af4 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f120845f | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f120845f | comment |
This is a running gag in Kingdom of Loathing, even including sentences where the word isn't being used as a preposition. | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f120845f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f120845f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kingdom of Loathing (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f120845f | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f655ed11 | type |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f655ed11 | comment |
Frasier: There's an episode where Martin is writing someone a letter and Niles, reading over his shoulder, corrects him for ending a sentence with a preposition. We see Martin, rather annoyed, writing something on the paper and underlining it, gesturing to Niles, to which Niles replies, "Not to be technical, but 'off' is a preposition too." In another episode Frasier corrects a caller who uses the word "literally" in the completely wrong way, bringing said caller to get angry about people who "nitpick on your grammar when they come to you for help". |
|
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f655ed11 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f655ed11 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Frasier | hasFeature |
Prepositions Are Not to End Sentences With / int_f655ed11 |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.