Tutoring English, you can’t avoid this issue forever.  The English tutor weighs in.

In old times, there was a rule against finishing a sentence with a preposition. Thus,

“Who(m) did you say that to?”

was gauche.  Was it wrong, or just in poor taste?  I don’t recall; I’m too young to have felt the rule full force.  Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I can’t remember its enforcement at school.  However, I did hear it mentioned among adults.  Many of the adults I grew up around were academic.

I haven’t heard of the rule for decades now; still, I’m conscious when I break it.  The obvious question is, “If you care about the rule, then why do you break it?”

The reason I do break the rule is that

“To whom did you say that?”

is unexpected.  When you talk in an unexpected way, people more likely miss your meaning.  To talk to people effectively, you must “speak the same language.”  If they end their sentences with prepositions, you might do well to follow.

Written communication differs from spoken; just the fact that it’s written makes it potentially more formal.  In print, people are more willing to tolerate different phrasings from what they, themselves, would use. Therefore, to uphold the rule of not finishing a sentence with a preposition, is more agreeably done in writing.

There still lurk, in university corridors, plush parlours, and brown studies, people who would be mortified to finish a sentence with a preposition.  In their circles, so be it.  That attention to detail – that belief that something has to be perfect in order to be acceptable – has brought tremendous success to England.  It’s ultimately why so many of us speak English today – even if those defenders of the language believe we do so quite badly:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.