Dangling Prepositions 

 
What is a dangling preposition?
A dangling preposition (also called a hanging preposition or stranded preposition) refers to
a preposition whose object occurs earlier in the sentence, or else does not have an object in the
sentence at all. It is left “dangling,” “hanging,” or “stranded” because it does not form a
complete prepositional phrase.
Despite what you may have been taught, it’s a myth that ending a sentence or clause with a
preposition is an error. We’ll discuss that myth—and its origin—later in the article.

Encountering dangling prepositions

Remember that a preposition expresses a relationship (as of time, space, distance, causation, etc.)
between a noun or pronoun (the object of the preposition) and another element in the sentence.
Dangling prepositions generally occur with prepositional verbs or phrasal verbs. These are
verb constructions that require prepositions to complete their meaning. For example, you
don’t talk someone, you talk to someone. Similarly, hearing something (with one’s ears) is
different than hearing about something (on the news, for instance). In both cases, the
prepositions complete or alter the unique meaning of the verbs.
Dangling prepositions occur when verb constructions like these are used at the end of a sentence
or clause but the objects of the prepositions appear earlier in the sentence. Generally speaking,
there are four types of syntactic constructions in which this happens:

 1) Questions beginning with wh- question words (who, what, where, when, why, as well
as how);
 2) Infinitive phrases;
 3) Sentences using the passive voice;
 4) Relative clauses.

We will look at examples of dangling prepositions occurring in each type of construction. It’s
important to note that all of the examples we’ll examine are grammatically correct.

Questions beginning with wh- words

We often encounter dangling prepositions when a wh- word (such as who or what) is used to
begin a question. This is because the question word itself is functioning as the object of the
preposition but is placed at the very beginning of the sentence (due to the common construction
of interrogative sentences). For example:

 “Whose house are you staying in?” (In is the dangling preposition of the object whose.)
 “What are you talking about?” (About is the dangling preposition of the object what.)
 “Who/whom* will we go with?” (With is the dangling preposition of the
object who/whom.*)
  “Where did they come from?” (From is the dangling preposition of the object where.)

(*Whom is considered the correct form to use whenever it functions as an object of a verb or
preposition. However, because whom is falling into disuse in modern English, it is very often
replaced by who, especially when it is the object of a dangling preposition.)

Infinitive phrases
Infinitives (the base form of the verb preceded by the particle to) and the phrases they form can
function as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs in a sentence.
When they function as adjectives, infinitives come immediately after the noun they modify. For
the infinitives of prepositional or phrasal verbs, the preposition is left without an object and
becomes stranded. For example:

 “Don’t worry, sweetie, there is nothing to be scared of!”

 “Each student will be asked to give a brief presentation tomorrow, so make sure you have
something to talk about.”
 “I just bought some new music to listen to.”
 “He wished he had a friend to travel with.”

Passive voice constructions
The passive voice is a type of grammatical voice in which the subject is acted upon by the verb.
In passive-voice sentences, the subject is the receiver of the action (i.e., what would be
the direct object in an active-voice sentence). Because the direct object of a phrasal or
prepositional verb is shifted to the position of the subject in such passive-voice constructions, the
preposition will be left dangling at the end of the clause.
For example:

 “I wonder who/whom this book was written by.” (By is the dangling preposition of the

object who/whom.)
 “The problem is being dealt with.” (With is the dangling preposition of the object the
problem.)
 “These expenses still haven’t been accounted for.” (For is the dangling preposition of the
object expenses.)
 “My daughter is being looked after by my mother this weekend.” (after is the dangling
preposition of the object daughter.)

Relative clauses
Relative clauses, which are introduced by relative pronouns, function adjectivally to describe or
modify a noun or noun phrase within a sentence. In certain cases, relative pronouns can be used
as objects of prepositions, meaning the relative pronoun works in conjunction with a preposition
to modify the subject or verb of the relative clause.
Conventionally, only whose, which, and whom can function as objects of prepositions when the
preposition precedes the pronoun, as in:
  “I learned everything I know from my brother, to whom I owe a great deal.”
 “The family in whose house we’re staying has been very kind to us.”
 “There are many things in my life for which I am very grateful.”

However, these are formal constructions; in modern, informal English, it’s much more common
to strand the preposition at the end of the relative clause. When this happens, whom is usually
changed to who or omitted altogether (but only if the relative clause is restrictive, meaning it is
essential to the meaning of the sentence). Likewise, in restrictive relative clauses, which is often
changed to that or omitted. Whose, which denotes possession, cannot be changed or omitted.
Let’s look at the same examples again, this time using dangling prepositions to create more
natural-sounding sentences:

 “I learned everything I know from my brother, who/whom I owe a great deal to.” (To is

the dangling preposition of the object who or, less commonly, whom.)
 “The family whose house we’re staying in has been very kind to us.” (In is the dangling
preposition of the object whose)
 “There are many things in my life that/which I am very grateful for.” (For is the dangling
preposition of the object that/which.)

As we noted earlier, we can also omit the relative pronoun in the last example because the
relative clause is restrictive. This is the most casual way to write the sentence:

 “There are many things in my life I am very grateful for.”

Let’s look at a few other examples of relative clauses that use dangling prepositions:

 “The professor [who/whom] I studied under retired this year.” (Under is the dangling

preposition of who or, less commonly, whom; because the relative clause is restrictive,
the relative pronoun can also be omitted.)
 “Janet aced her last test, which she’d studied extensively for.” (For is the dangling
preposition of which; because the relative clause is non-restrictive, we cannot
substitute that or omit the pronoun.)
 “I had a great discussion with Mr. Johnson, whose daughter I’m studying math with.”
(With is the dangling preposition of whose, which cannot be changed or omitted no
matter which type of relative clause it is used in.)

Ending a sentence with a preposition

There has been a prevailing myth among English grammar teachers that prepositions should
never be split from their objects, and that it is always incorrect to end a sentence with a
preposition.
This “rule” is based on the fact that in Latin (from which English derives some of its structure),
prepositions can’t be stranded from their objects. However, this is decidedly not the case in
English, and nearly every grammar guide (including this one) agrees that it is acceptable and
often more correct to end a sentence with a dangling preposition, rather than rewriting a sentence
specifically to avoid it.

Rewriting sentences with dangling prepositions

In order to rewrite sentences to avoid dangling prepositions, we have to move the preposition to
an earlier part of the sentence before its object. If the dangling preposition doesn’t have an
object, we also have to add a pronoun (usually which) to fulfil this role.
The problem with rewriting sentences in this way is that it often yields very awkward, overly
formal sentences that would rarely (if ever) be found in natural speech or writing. There is a
famous example of such a construction that is commonly (though incorrectly) attributed to
Winston Churchill:

 “This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put!”

Regardless of the authenticity of this quotation, it nevertheless highlights how arduous and
awkward (and unnecessary) it can be to rewrite a sentence to avoid a dangling preposition. Let’s
take a few of the examples we looked at earlier and see how rewriting them to avoid dangling
prepositions results in undesirable sentences:

 “Where did they come from?”

  “From where did they come?”

 “I had a great discussion with Mr. Johnson, whose daughter I’m studying math with.”

  “I had a great discussion with Mr. Johnson, with whose daughter I’m studying math.”

 “Don’t worry, sweetie, there is nothing to be scared of!”

  “Don’t worry sweetie, there is nothing of which to be scared!” (In this case, we have to
add the relative pronoun which to function as the object of the preposition of.)

While technically correct, each of these rewritten sentences is stilted and overly formal. Longer,
more complex sentences can make use of these types of constructions more naturally, but for
simpler sentences in everyday speech and writing, reorganizing prepositions is simply not
necessary.

Changing passive voice to active voice

Passive constructions that use dangling prepositions can sometimes be rewritten in the active
voice to avoid dangling prepositions. Unlike the changes we looked at above, changing sentences
from the passive to the active voice is much less likely to sound awkward or overly formal. For
example:

 “I wonder who this book was written by.” (passive construction with dangling

preposition)
  “I wonder who wrote this book.” (rewritten in the active voice)

 “The problem is being dealt with.” (passive construction with dangling preposition)

  “We are dealing with the problem.” (rewritten in the active voice)

These rewritten sentences all sound perfectly natural in modern English. However, by shifting to
the active voice, we lose the emphasis on the fact that the agent of the action is unknown or
unspecified. Sometimes this is for the best—many guides recommend avoiding the passive voice
wherever possible, preferring for the action of the sentence to be direct and the subject of the
action to be clear—but it is not necessary to rewrite such sentences simply to avoid the use of
dangling prepositions.

Avoiding unnecessary prepositions

While it is perfectly correct to end a sentence with a preposition, we must be careful that we do
not include extraneous prepositions that do not serve a grammatical function. For example, the
following sentence features a very common error:

  “Where are you at?”

This is incorrect—not because the preposition ends the sentence, but because the preposition
does not need to be in the sentence at all. It should read:

  “Where are you?”

As we can see, the preposition at added no additional or necessary information to the sentence,

so it should be removed altogether.
Let’s look at another example with an unnecessary preposition:

 “I’m looking for somewhere to store my luggage in.”

Again, the preposition in actually serves no purpose here, so it can be omitted:

  “I’m looking for somewhere to store my luggage.”

Such prepositional errors are not confined to sentences ending with prepositions; we should
avoid using extraneous prepositions no matter where they occur in a sentence.

A final note
Despite the fact that ending a sentence with a preposition is grammatically correct in English, the
myth that it is wrong is still very prevalent among native speakers and learners alike. Just be
aware that some people might judge your writing as incorrect if you use prepositions at the end
of sentences (or do so too often).
Therefore, in more formal or professional writing in which one’s grammar needs to be seen as
very correct (such as a business proposal or academic application), try to avoid ending sentences
in dangling prepositions if they can be reworded or rewritten. In addition to avoiding criticism or
judgment from your reader, it can add elegance and sophistication to your writing to use
sentences that avoid dangling prepositions, so long as they still sound natural and coherent.
Quiz
1. Which of the following is not another term for a dangling preposition?

a) Hanging preposition
b) Stranded preposition
c) Lonely preposition
d) A & B
e) B & C

2. A preposition is considered dangling when:

a) Its object is located in a previous part of the sentence

b) It does not have an object in the sentence
c) It is separated from its object by one or more modifiers
d) A & B
e) B & C

3. True or False: It is always incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition.

a) True
b) False

4. Which of the following relative pronouns is not commonly used with dangling prepositions in
modern English?

a) Who
b) Whom
c) Which
d) Whose

5. Identify the syntactic structure that features a dangling preposition used in the following
sentence:
“I need to go to the store; I have a few things to take back.”

a) Wh- question
b) Infinitive phrase
c) Passive voice construction
d) Relative clause
6. When is it not correct to end a sentence with a dangling preposition?

a) When the preposition does not have an object in the sentence

b) When a relative clause is able to be omitted

c) When the sentence is in the passive voice

d) When the preposition is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence

e) Always

Preposition Basics
A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to
show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Some
examples of prepositions are words like "in," "at," "on," "of," and "to."
Prepositions in English are highly idiomatic. Although there are some rules for usage, much
preposition usage is dictated by fixed expressions. In these cases, it is best to memorize the
phrase instead of the individual preposition.

A Few Rules

Prepositions of Direction
To refer to a direction, use the prepositions "to," "in," "into," "on," and "onto."

 She drove to the store.

 Don’t ring the doorbell. Come right in(to) the house.
 Drive on(to) the grass and park the car there.

Prepositions of Time
To refer to one point in time, use the prepositions "in," "at," and "on."
Use "in" with parts of the day (not specific times), months, years, and seasons.

 He reads in the evening.
 The weather is cold in December.
 She was born in 1996.
 We rake leaves in the fall.

Use "at" with the time of day. Also use "at" with noon, night, and midnight.
  I go to work at 8:00.
 He eats lunch at noon.
 She often goes for a walk at night.
 They go to bed at midnight.

Use "on" with days.

 I work on Saturdays.
 He does laundry on Wednesdays.

To refer to extended time, use the prepositions "since," "for," "by," "during," "from…to,"
"from…until," "with," and "within."

 I have lived in Minneapolis since 2005. (I moved there in 2005 and still live there.)
 He will be in Toronto for 3 weeks. (He will spend 3 weeks in Toronto.)
 She will finish her homework by 6:00. (She will finish her homework sometime
between now and 6:00.)
 He works part time during the summer. (For the period of time throughout the
summer.)
 I will collect data from January to June. (Starting in January and ending in June.)
 They are in school from August until May. (Starting in August and ending in May.)
 She will graduate within 2 years. (Not longer than 2 years.)

Prepositions of Place
To refer to a place, use the prepositions "in" (the point itself), "at" (the general vicinity), "on"
(the surface), and "inside" (something contained).

 They will meet in the lunchroom.

 She was waiting at the corner.
 He left his phone on the bed.
 Place the pen inside the drawer.

To refer to an object higher than a point, use the prepositions "over" and "above." To refer
to an object lower than a point, use the prepositions "below," "beneath," "under," and
"underneath."

 The bird flew over the house.

 The plates were on the shelf above the cups.
 Basements are dug below ground.
 There is hard wood beneath the carpet.
 The squirrel hid the nuts under a pile of leaves.
 The cat is hiding underneath the box.
 To refer to an object close to a point, use the prepositions "by," "near," "next to," "between,"
"among," and "opposite."

 The gas station is by the grocery store.

 The park is near her house.
 Park your bike next to the garage.
 There is a deer between the two trees.
 There is a purple flower among the weeds.
 The garage is opposite the house.

Prepositions of Location
To refer to a location, use the prepositions "in" (an area or volume), "at" (a point), and
"on" (a surface).

 They live in the country. (an area)

 She will find him at the library. (a point)
 There is a lot of dirt on the window. (a surface)

Prepositions of Spatial Relationships

To refer to a spatial relationship, use the prepositions "above," "across," "against," "ahead
of," "along," "among," "around," "behind," "below,"
"beneath," "beside," "between," "from," "in front of," "inside," "near," "off," "out of," "through,"
"toward," "under," and "within."

 The post office is across the street from the grocery store.

 We will stop at many attractions along the way.
 The kids are hiding behind the tree.
 His shirt is off.
 Walk toward the garage and then turn left.
 Place a check mark within the box.

Prepositions Following Verbs and Adjectives

Some verbs and adjectives are followed by a certain preposition. Sometimes verbs and
adjectives can be followed by different prepositions, giving the phrase different meanings.
To find which prepositions follow the verb or an adjective, look up the verb or adjective in an
online dictionary, such as Merriam Webster, or use a corpus, such as The Corpus of
Contemporary American English. Memorizing these phrases instead of just the preposition
alone is the most helpful.

 
Some Common Verb + Preposition Combinations
About: worry, complain, read

 He worries about the future.

 She complained about the homework.
 I read about the flooding in the city.

At: arrive (a building or event), smile, look

 He arrived at the airport 2 hours early.

 The children smiled at her.
 She looked at him.

From: differ, suffer

 The results differ from my original idea.

 She suffers from dementia.

For: account, allow, search

 Be sure to account for any discrepancies.

 I returned the transcripts to the interviewees to allow for revisions to be made.
 They are searching for the missing dog.

In: occur, result, succeed

 The same problem occurred in three out of four cases.

 My recruitment strategies resulted in finding 10 participants.
 She will succeed in completing her degree.

Of: approve, consist, smell

 I approve of the idea.

 The recipe consists of three basic ingredients.
 The basement smells of mildew.

On: concentrate, depend, insist

 He is concentrating on his work.

 They depend on each other.
 I must insist on following this rule.

To: belong, contribute, lead, refer

 Bears belong to the family of mammals.

  I hope to contribute to the previous research.
 My results will lead to future research on the topic.
 Please refer to my previous explanation.

With: (dis)agree, argue, deal

 I (dis)agree with you.
 She argued with him.
 They will deal with the situation.

Although verb + preposition combinations appear similar to phrasal verbs, the verb and the
particle (in this case, the preposition) in these combinations cannot be separated like
phrasal verbs. See more about this on our verb choice page.

Some Common Adjective + Preposition Combinations

  About At By From For In Of To With

Accustomed               X  

Aware             X    

Beneficial               X  

Capable             X    

Characteristic             X    

Composed     X       X    

Different       X          

Disappointed           X     X

Employed   X X            

Essential               X  
   About At By From For In Of To With

Familiar                 X

Good   X     X        

Grateful         X     X  

Interested           X      

Happy X       X       X

Opposed               X  

Proud             X    

Responsible         X        

Similar               X  

Sorry X       X        

Ending a Sentence With a Preposition

At one time, schools taught students that a sentence should never end with a preposition.
This rule is associated with Latin grammar, and while many aspects of Latin have made
their way into English, there are times when following this particular grammar rule creates
unclear or awkward sentence structures. Since the purpose of writing is to clearly
communicate your ideas, it is acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition if the
alternative would create confusion or is too overly formal.
Example: The car had not been paid for. (Ends with a preposition but is acceptable)
Unclear Revision: Paid for the car had not been. (Unclear sentence.)
 
Example: I would like to know where she comes from. (Ends with a preposition but is
acceptable)
Overly Grammatical Revision: I would like to know from where she comes. (Grammatical
but overly formal. Nobody actually speaks like this.)
 
However, in academic writing, you may decide that it is worth revising your sentences to
avoid ending with a preposition in order to maintain a more formal scholarly voice.
Example: My research will focus on the community the students lived in.
Revision: My research will focus on the community in which the students lived.
 
Example: I like the people I am working with.
Revision: I like the people with whom I am working.

Prepositional Phrases and Wordiness

Like with pronouns, too many prepositional phrases can create wordiness in a sentence:
Example: The author chose the mixed-method design to explain that the purpose of the
study was to explore the leadership qualities of the principals in the schools as a means to
gauge teacher satisfaction in the first year of teaching.
This type of sentence could be shortened and condensed to minimize the prepositional
phrases and bring clarity to the writer's intent:
Revision: The author chose the mixed-method design to explore the principals' leadership
qualities and their impact on first-year teachers' satisfaction.

Unnecessary Prepositions
If the preposition is unnecessary, leave it out. This creates more clear and concise writing.
Example: Where are the plates at?
Revision: Where are the plates?
 
Example: She jumped off of the balance beam.
Revision: She jumped off the balance beam.