a. If no one answers the door, then please let yourself in.
b. Where are Katelyn and Ella walking to?
c. The top steps are fine, but be careful of the slippery stairs below.
d-Do you know what Naveen was talking about?

Explanation: Eliminating Prepositions at the End of Sentences

In English grammar, ending a sentence with a preposition is sometimes considered informal or less polished in certain contexts, especially in formal writing. However, modern English usage often allows terminal prepositions for natural flow and clarity.

To revise sentences to eliminate prepositions at the end, one can restructure the sentence to incorporate the preposition earlier. This requires rephrasing without losing the sentence’s meaning. Let’s evaluate the given options:

a. If no one answers the door, then please let yourself in.

• Analysis: The preposition “in” is at the end, but it is part of the phrasal verb “let yourself in.” Phrasal verbs naturally end with prepositions, and restructuring this sentence would sound awkward.
• Verdict: This sentence does not need revision. It is acceptable as is.

b. Where are Katelyn and Ella walking to?

• Analysis: The preposition “to” appears at the end of the question. While conversational English allows this, in formal contexts, you can rephrase it to:
  • Revised: “To where are Katelyn and Ella walking?”
• Verdict: This sentence should be revised if formality is required.

c. The top steps are fine, but be careful of the slippery stairs below.

• Analysis: The preposition “below” is at the end, but it describes the location of the slippery stairs. Changing it would make the sentence less clear or unnecessarily wordy.
• Verdict: This sentence is acceptable as written.

d. Do you know what Naveen was talking about?

• Analysis: The preposition “about” ends the sentence. In formal writing, this could be rephrased as:
  • Revised: “Do you know about what Naveen was talking?”
• Verdict: This sentence may be revised for formal contexts, though the original is fine in conversational English.

Correct Answer: b and d

Both b and d can be revised to eliminate the prepositions at the end. However, in contemporary usage, ending a sentence with a preposition is acceptable unless a more formal tone is required.

Examples of Revision

1. Original: Who are you going with?
   Revised: With whom are you going?
2. Original: What is she known for?
   Revised: For what is she known?
3. Original: The book I was looking for is on the shelf.
   Revised: The book for which I was looking is on the shelf.

FAQs

Q1: Is it always wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?

No, it is not always wrong. Ending sentences with prepositions is common and acceptable in informal and conversational English. In formal writing, however, avoiding terminal prepositions may be preferred for a polished tone.

Q2: Why do some people consider it incorrect to end sentences with prepositions?

This belief comes from the influence of Latin grammar rules, where prepositions cannot end sentences. Early English grammarians applied these rules to English, despite differences between the two languages.

Q3: When should I revise sentences to avoid ending with prepositions?

You should revise sentences to avoid terminal prepositions when:

1. Writing in a formal or academic context.
2. The sentence can be restructured without becoming awkward or unclear.

Q4: What are phrasal verbs, and can they end with prepositions?

Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs and prepositions or adverbs that function as a single unit (e.g., “give up,” “look into,” “run out of”). It is grammatically correct for phrasal verbs to end with prepositions.