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Prepositions at the ends of clauses

Introduction​

A preposition often connects two things: (1) a noun, adjective or verb that comes before it, and (2) a prepositional object – a noun phrase or pronoun that comes after the preposition.

  • This is a present for you.
  • I’m really angry with Joe.
  • He’s looking at her.
  • They live in a small village.

In some structures we may put the prepositional object at or near the beginning of a clause. In this case, the preposition does not always go with it – it may stay together with ‘its’ noun, adjective or verb at the end of the clause. This happens especially in four cases:

  • wh-questions: Who’s the present for?
  • relative structures: Joe’s the person that I’m angry with.
  • passives: She likes to be looked at.
  • infinitive structures: The village is pleasant to live in.

wh-questions: What are you looking at?​

When a question word is the object of a preposition, the preposition most often comes at the end of the clause, especially in informal usage.

  • Who’s the present for? (For whom is the present? is extremely formal.)
  • What are you looking at?
  • Who did you go with?
  • Where did she buy it from?
  • Which flight is the general travelling on?
  • What kind of films are you interested in?

This also happens in indirect wh-questions, and in other what-clauses.

  • Tell me what you’re worried about.
  • What a lot of trouble I’m in!

Some questions consist simply of question word + preposition.

  • What with?
  • Who for?

However, this structure is unusual when there is a noun with the question word.

  • With what money? (not What money with?)

Relative clauses: the house I told you about​

When a relative pronoun (see here) is the object of a preposition, the preposition also often goes at the end of the clause, especially in informal usage.

  • Joe’s the person that I’m angry with. (Less formal than … with whom I am angry.)
  • This is the house (that) I told you about. (Less formal than … about which I told you.)
  • You remember the boy (who) I was going out with?
  • She’s the only woman (who) I’ve ever really been in love with.
  • That’s what I’m afraid of.

Because whom is unusual in an informal style, it is very rare in clauses that end with prepositions (see here).

Passives: She likes to be looked at.​

In passive structures (see Passive), prepositions go with their verbs.

  • She likes to be looked at.
  • I don’t know where he is – his bed hasn’t been slept in.
  • Kate was operated on last night.

Infinitive structures: pleasant to live in​

Infinitive complements ( (see here) can have prepositions with them.

  • The village is pleasant to live in.
  • She needs other children to play with.
  • Can you get me a chair to stand on?
  • I’ve got lots of music to listen to.
  • Their house isn’t easy to get to.

Exceptions: During which period …?​

During and since are not normally put at the ends of clauses.

  • During which period did it happen? (not Which period did it happen during?)
  • Since when have you been working for her? (not When have you been working for her since?)

Formal structures: With whom …?​

In a more formal style, a preposition is often put earlier in questions and relative structures, before the question word or relative pronoun.

  • With whom did she go?
  • It was the house about which he had told them.
  • She was the only person with whom he could discuss his problems.

This can also happen in infinitive complements, in a very formal style. A relative pronoun is used.

  • She needs other children with whom to play.
  • It is a boring place in which to live.

Note that after prepositions which and whom can be used, but not normally who and that.

Even in a very formal style, prepositions are not often put at the beginning of questions which have be as the main verb.

  • Who is it for, madam? (not For whom is it?)

And the structures where … to, what … like and what … for have a fixed order.

  • Where shall I send it to? (but not To where shall I send it?)
  • What does she look like? (but not Like what does she look?)
  • What did you buy that for? (but not For what did you buy that?)

Prepositions cannot be moved away from passive verbs even in a formal style.

  • In my family, money was never spoken about. (not … about money was never spoken.)
note

For more information about formal and informal language, (see here).

For sentences like It’s got a hole in (it); I like cakes with cream on (them), (see here).