Why do people who are fluent/native English speakers put prepositions at the end of a sentence?

Question

You can convey the same message without it.

"Where are you" opposed to "Where are you at?"

Do you know it's grammatically correct? I see this all the time with publications and signs.

In ESL, I learned not to do this. I also learned the preposition modifies the verb, not the object/noun.

"Put the apple down" would be considered incorrect, right?

It should be, "Put down the apple."

Answer 1

you are right about "where are you?", as opposed to "where are you at?", but remember that "where are you at?" is technically NOT part of the discussion of putting prepositions at the end of a sentence. the reason is that "where are you at?" is a variant that was invented more recently by certain subcultures, or otherwise by grammatically uneducated or lazy people, who added elements like "at" that were totally unnecessary in the first place.

when you are talking about preposition placement, you are talking about saying "what do you need to go to the store for?" vs. "for what do you need to go to the store?"

as i remember it, this "rule" of not ending with a prep was started by some writers during the 18th or 19th centuries who were a little stiff and though English needed "refinement". but up to that time there had NEVER been any rules about that; even Shakespeare wrote preps at the end. and then more recently even Winston Churchill made fun of that "rule".

so, basically, it's perfectly okay to put you preps at the end, because that's the way historically it's always been.

Answer 2

Ultimately, what's grammatically correct is what is being used and said by native speakers. And if you want to sound like a native speaker, you don't really have any other choice than to get on the bandwagon and do the same.

EDIT: Can you help me make this sentence more grammatical by moving up the "adjective"?

Good friends are hard to come by.

Answer 3

for a "formal" presentation... ok... but for normal communication between normal people... assuming both are "english" speakers... who cares.... when I speak or write directly to someone not a "native" english speaker I try to keep the slang to a minimum... but to be so formal would be not natural...  

Answer 4

"This is definitely the kind of English up with which I will not put".

Seriously, the old concept that you should never end a sentence with a preposition is now discredited. Apart from anything else, when a word such as "to", "down", "up" is used as a separative part of a verb,it is not a preposition anyway, but an adverb.

Answer 5

Who cares??  You get what they are saying,  besides spoken/conversational English is usually more casual and improper.  

Answer 6

You sound a little like my grandmother. Did you know there is a list of words that are so commonly misspelled that some professors do not even correct them. "They" have talked about adding the misspellings to the english language as acceptable variations. Language adapts to the people.

Answer 7

Umm, dude. Nobody cares about grammar.

I mean, I do, and i get annoyed when it's not properly being used BUT most "native English speakers" can''t even spell words in English.

It really doesn't make a difference. ... Unless you're a writer or something.

:D  

Answer 8

Well. . .so often when it comes to matters like the one you are addressing. . .

Writers and speakers will go with what "sounds" pleasing to the general public based on who they are communicating to.

It's REALLY all about the psychology behind it. . . rather than the propriety of it.

The fact is. . .it's all about how the speaker or writer is aiming to be perceived by the audience. . .I suppose it matters less to the typical person when it's friend to friend than it would matter for public speaking.

Fory