How to Fix Dangling Prepositions

Although speech is the language and language is alive, ever changing, good writing follows certain rules and has more permanency than speech.The written word can serve as a reference tool. A sentence might include one or more prepositions, words that take objects (nouns) to complete an idea.
If you've ever been disciplined by a parent, you may recall something similar to the following conversation.
"I told you to clean your room."
"Yes, but--"
"But nothing! Now go do it."
Your mother was completing the preposition "but" with the noun "nothing."
"But" and other prepositions at the end of a sentence beg completion. They leave the reader hanging and asking who?, what?, where?, when? or why?
Simple Prepositions
A-L
| N-R
| S-W
|
---|---|---|
at
| near
| save
|
but
| of
| since
|
by
| off
| through
|
down
| on
| till
|
for
| out
| to
|
from
| over
| up
|
in
| past
| with
|
like
| round
| ~~~
|
Examples of Dangling Prepositions
Here are two examples of sentences ending in a dangling preposition that appeared in a professional article, along with examples of how the sentences might be corrected. In each correction, the simplest expression appears followed by one that more closely uses the words of the original.
Incorrect: Our reaction to failure is something we pay little attention to.
Acceptable Solutions:
We pay little attention to our reaction to failure.
Our reaction to failure is something to which we pay little attention.
Incorrect:
Find a confidant who has survived the same setback you are suffering through.
Acceptable Solutions:
Find a confidant who has survived the same setback as you.
Find a confidant who has survived the same setback as you are suffering.

Speech and the Vernacular
Informal speech uses prepositions frequently. In writing, most of these prepositions can be eliminated without harm to the meaning of the sentence. When writing dialog or giving a direct quote, however, prepositions and dangling prepositions remain.
Speech: I'm going clean up this mess.
Written: I'm going to clean this mess.
Written Quote: "I'm going to clean up this mess."
Speech: I have no idea where I'm going to.
Written: I have no idea where I'm going.
Written Quote: "I have no idea where I'm going to."
When a story, such as a personal account is being written, the author's vernacular helps to develop his or her unique style. If the vernacular is excessive, however, the reader may have a difficult time following the story. So, in creative writing, a little rule bending is essentially akin to poetic license. In article writing, the author will eliminate informal speech for clarity to appeal to the greatest number of readers.

Compound Prepositions
A-Am
| Ar-Conc
| Cons-O
| R-W
|
---|---|---|---|
aboard
| around
| considering
| regarding
|
about
| before
| despite
| throughout
|
above
| behind
| during
| toward
|
across
| below
| except
| under
|
after
| beneath
| excepting
| underneath
|
against
| beside
| inside
| until
|
along
| besides
| into
| unto
|
alongside
| between
| onto
| upon
|
amid
| beyond
| opposite
| within
|
among
| concerning
| outside
| without
|
Prepositions That Begin Sentences
Many compound prepositions and their objects work well to begin a clause to start a sentence. Such construction can provide a transition for a new paragraph.
Examples of introductory clauses:
Before the turn of the century, women began to change their style of dress.
Except for an occasional breeze, the air was as still as stone.
"Before" and "except" are prepositions introducing the sentences. Don't leave them dangling!
Incorrect: Women began to change their style of dress in the century before.
Incorrect: The air was still as stone, an occasional breeze except.*
*Such construction might occur in a poem and be accepted as poetic license.
So, here you see that prepositions can begin a sentence, but should not end a sentence when writing an article for publication.

Phrasal Prepositions
A-D
| E-I
| N-U
|
---|---|---|
according to
| except for
| near to
|
across from
| from among
| on account of
|
alongside of
| from between
| on behalf of
|
along with
| from under
| on top of
|
apart from
| in addition to
| onside of
|
as far as
| in behalf of
| out of
|
aside from
| in front of
| over to
|
away from
| in place of
| owing to
|
back of
| in regard to
| prior to
|
because of
| inside of
| subsequent to
|
by means of
| in spite of
| together with
|
down from
| instead of
| up to
|
Ways to Fix a Dangling Preposition
- Delete the preposition if the meaning of the sentence doesn't change.
- Add a noun and any desired modifiers to serve as the preposition's object.
- Complete the preposition and move the words to where the meaning is clearer or at the beginning to work as a transition.
- Reword the sentence so no preposition is required.
A Final Word
After reading this subject, you are now more aware of what prepositions are and have seen a few examples of them in sentences. A preposition is completed by an object (noun or pronoun) and any modifiers to the noun. An object answers the question of who, what, when, where, or why.
When correcting a dangling preposition, you can sometimes just delete the preposition, add an object (perhaps with modifiers), add an object and move the preposition's phrase to somewhere else in the sentence, such as the beginning to serve as a transition, or reword the sentence so no preposition is required.
Omitting dangling prepositions from your article writing improves the quality of the piece and is easier for the reader to comprehend. ***
A Song to Help You Remember Prepositions
How much have you learned?
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I constructed the preposition lists with the guidance of the following book.
Sebranek, Meyer, and Kemper; Write for College: A Student Handbook; Write Source (Houghton Mifflin), Wilmington, Massachusetts; 1997 ISBN 0-669-44402-2
The graphic images are my own work.
Questions & Answers
© 2013 Marie Flint
Comments
Thank you! Very helpful information that I'd forgotten.
I'm hoping that grammar will get easier the more I study it. I will probably need to refer back to this hub again in the future.
Have you ever seen the movie With Honors? It's so funny! There is a scene and the boy says, "Which door do I leave from?" To which the professor says, "At Harvard, we don't end our sentences with prepositions," and his witty reply is "Okay. Which door do I leave from, asshole?" I know it is still incorrect, but it was still funny to me and this reminded me of it!
I found the comments on double negatives interesting. When I first started as a legal editor, I was startled to find that double negatives were used in legal writing for emphasis. I wish I could think of an example, but I don't have a law book handy. Also many sentences were written with the negative, "No person shall ...." We are trying to write now to the positive, "A person shall not...."
Except every teacher it came up with claimed I was wrong and that it was a double negative when I knew better! In my day you did not argue much with teachers, which is probably just as well. lol
Jackie,
From my point it is hard to tell whether it is a double negative, but I would say that it is a 'contradiction'. An opposite of itself - "I couldn't" and "care less".
What do you say Marie?
Kevin
One I always had to argue with was, "I couldn't care less." Double negative? If I say I could care less I would be lying because I couldn't. lol
Marie Flint,
I, too, hate those 'double negatives'. That is one reason that I stopped using contractions - to make sure that I did not do use them. It helps me a lot.
Kevin
What about using "Yes. No." or "Yeah. No." in the same sentence. I was never able to figure that one out!?
Yes it's interesting that there are words in America which either don't exist here or that have totally different meanings - can be embarrassing! I suppose the hodge-podge of an English that's already made up of words from so many invaders becomes even more so when the languages of many American citizens are added.
You are so right about those gerund modifiers! Look forward to reading your hub on that.
What really gets me is when people use 'but' and 'and' to start a sentence. They are conjunctions and therefore should be used to join two sentences. It's done in speech but shouldn't be done in writing (unless in reported speech of course).
Having a sound basis of grammatical English is necessary for good writing; prepositions are some of the most difficult words to use correctly, especially for those where English is a second language.
A useful hub.
Great refresher course. I was a straight A English student but time and shortcuts make one sloppy. I go back and catch many things like these and recognize it taking a fresh look at it but I am sure much I miss much! Thanks for sharing. Important stuff!
Some skillful fixes, Marie. This reminds me of the story told on Winston Churchill of an editor who once rearranged one of his sentences to avoid ending with a preposition. Churchill replied “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.” My retired English teacher friend told this but it has now been debunked. Anyhow, the point is well taken. I sometimes (but rarely) end a sentence with a preposition just to avoid this type of pedantry.
I agree about the language. A phrase (rule) which I often hear is "You ended your sentence in a prepositon", or, "Do not end sentences in prepositions".
I find myself not caring about the improper usage of prepositions, because even reputable works seem to allow it. Reading your article motivates me to strive for the right. Thank you for underscoring the right usage; it also makes for better reading.
A great hub and thank you for sharing Marie.
Eddy.
Marie Flint
I am sure that it will.
I love this.
This was a very good Hub. I have read a few grammar books - since I d0 not remember much from school - but I still have not memorized everything about grammar. I just try to rephrase sentences and end them with nouns. You get voted up in my class. :-)
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