What is preposition stranding (and is it wrong)?

There are so many rules in the English language. You’re not alone if you’re confused by grammar rules or terms like preposition stranding. Before diving into preposition stranding, let’s quickly brush up on what a preposition is.

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What are prepositions?

A preposition is a word that’s placed before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. Prepositions are used to introduce objects, show direction, refer to points in time, or refer to places. Here are some common prepositions:

• To
• Into
• At
• From
• During
• On
• In
• Near
• By
• Behind
• Across
• Of

Forming and structuring your sentences would be extremely difficult without prepositions.

What is preposition stranding?

Preposition stranding (also known as p-stranding or stranded prepositions) occurs when the preposition isn’t attached to an object. Stranded prepositions can often be found at the end of a sentence. Preposition stranding typically occurs in sentences that use questions starting with who, what, when, or where.

Preposition stranding examples

If you’re still not sure what preposition stranding means, use these examples to clear up any confusion.

• Who are you looking for?

In the above sentence, “for” is the stranded preposition, while “who” is the object. If you were to re-word this sentence to remove the preposition stranding, the sentence would be, “For whom are you looking?”

• Where are you going to?

In the above sentence, “to” is the stranded preposition, while “where” is the object. If you were to re-word this sentence to remove the preposition stranding, the sentence would be, “To where are you going?”

• Who did you go with?

In the above sentence, “with” is the stranded preposition, while “who” is the object. If you were to reword this sentence to remove the preposition stranding, the sentence would be, “With whom did you go?”

• Who did you hear that from?

In this sentence, “from” is the stranded preposition. “Who” is the object. If you were to reword this sentence to remove the preposition stranding, the sentence would be, “From whom did you hear that?”

As you can see, removing preposition stranding can make sentences feel overly formal. It’s no wonder why preposition stranding is so popular in everyday language.

Is preposition stranding grammatically incorrect?

It’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition—but since it’s so widely believed that preposition stranding is incorrect, be prepared for pushback if you use it in your writing. However, since sentences using preposition stranding comes across as informal, you should avoid preposition stranding in formal or academic writing.

Why are people so against preposition stranding?

John Dryden, a 17th-century poet, may be the reason why so many people are against preposition stranding. Dryden disapproved of another writer’s work, saying, “The preposition in the end of the sentence; a common fault with him.” As a Latin scholar, it’s believed he felt that English should use the same grammar rules as Latin. In Latin, sentences can’t end with prepositions.¹

How to fix preposition stranding

If you’re writing a formal piece and want to remove preposition stranding from your sentences, you can do this by moving the preposition before the relative noun. Here’s an example of a sentence using preposition stranding:

• Which book are you looking for?

In this sentence, “for” is the stranded preposition. If you were to change up this sentence to remove preposition stranding, it would become:

• For what book are you searching?

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Keep your preposition education going; up next, explore prepositional phrases and how you can use them correctly in your writing.

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