In English, a question often ends with a preposition: "Who are you waiting for?", "What are you looking at?", "Which hotel did you stay in?".
This looks strange to many learners because their own language moves the preposition to the front. English can also do that, but only in a formal style: "For whom are you waiting?" In everyday speech, the preposition stays at the end.
This page explains why the preposition moves, which verbs keep their preposition, the passive pattern, and the common mistakes. The 20-question drill checks every form with an explanation.
The rule
Why the preposition stays at the end
- In a wh- question, the question word moves to the front and leaves its preposition behind: "Who did you talk to?"
- The preposition belongs to the verb phrase: talk to someone, wait for someone, look at something.
- Moving only the object copies the preposition to the end: "What are you looking at?"
- This is normal, correct English. Ending a sentence with a preposition is not a mistake.
Common verb + preposition pairs
- wait for, look at, look for, listen to, talk about, think about.
- belong to, depend on, laugh at, ask for, pay for, refer to.
- The preposition is part of the verb, so it must appear: "Who does this belong to?"
- If you drop the preposition, the question changes or breaks: "Who does this belong?" is wrong.
The formal pattern with whom
- Formal English moves the preposition to the front with whom: "With whom did you go?"
- Whom is the object form of who, and it appears after a fronted preposition.
- The formal pattern is common in writing, exams and very polite speech.
- The informal pattern is more common in conversation: "Who did you go with?"
Prepositions in the passive
- A passive sentence can end with a preposition when the verb keeps it: "The doctor was sent for."
- The subject is the receiver of the action; the preposition stays with the verb.
- This pattern is common with send for, look after, deal with and refer to.
- It also appears in questions: "Who was the letter sent to?"
Traps to avoid
- Do not use two prepositions: "Who did you go with to?" is wrong.
- Do not move the preposition and leave a copy at the end: "With whom did you go with?" repeats it.
- Where, when and why usually replace the whole phrase and need no preposition: "Where are you from?" is fine, but "Where do you live?" takes none.
- With where, the preposition can stay at the end: "Where are you from?"
Examples
- Who are you waiting for?The preposition for belongs to wait for.
- What are you looking at?The question word is the object of at.
- Which film did you think about?Think about keeps its preposition at the end.
- Who does this bag belong to?Belong to needs the preposition after the question word.
- Who did you go to the party with?The preposition sits at the very end.
- For whom are you waiting?The formal version moves for and whom to the front.
- With whom did you travel?Very formal, common in written English.
- The children were looked after by their aunt.In the passive, the verb keeps its preposition.
- Who was the parcel sent to?A passive question can end with the preposition.
- Where are you from?Where replaces the whole phrase, and from stays at the end.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Who did you go with to? Right: Who did you go with?
- One preposition is enough. Go with already carries the meaning.
- Wrong: With whom did you go with? Right: With whom did you go?
- Do not move the preposition and leave a second copy at the end.
- Wrong: Who does this belong? Right: Who does this belong to?
- The verb is belong to, and the preposition must stay.
- Wrong: What are you waiting? Right: What are you waiting for?
- Wait is followed by for when it has an object.
- Wrong: Who did she talk? Right: Who did she talk to?
- Talk about people takes to; the preposition ends the question.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
Who are you waiting ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. for The verb wait for keeps its preposition at the end of the question.
What are you looking ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. at Look at takes the object at; look for would mean search.
Who does this umbrella belong ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to The verb belong to must keep its preposition at the end.
Which hotel did you stay ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. in Stay in a hotel keeps the preposition in at the end.
Who did you go to the cinema ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. with Go with someone leaves with at the end of the question.
What are you thinking ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. about Think about keeps about at the end.
___ whom are you waiting?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. For The formal pattern moves for to the front before whom.
Who was the letter sent ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. to In the passive, send keeps its preposition to at the end.
The children were looked ___ by their grandmother.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. after Look after keeps its preposition in the passive.
Where are you ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. from Where replaces the place, and from stays at the end.
Who did she talk ___ at the party?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to Talk to someone keeps to at the end of the question.
What did you ask ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. for Ask for something keeps for at the end.
Which bus are you waiting ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. for Wait for is the verb phrase, so for ends the question.
What are you worried ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. about Worried about keeps its preposition about at the end of the question.
What are you listening ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to Listen to keeps its preposition at the end.
Who does this car belong ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. to Belong to must keep to after the question word.
___ whom did you speak?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. To Speak to someone moves to the front in the formal pattern with whom.
Who did you give the keys ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to Give something to someone keeps to at the end.
Which film are you talking ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. about Talk about keeps about at the end of the question.
Who was the doctor sent ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. for Send for a person keeps for at the end in the passive.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Future in the past: was going to and wouldTake the level test
Questions learners ask
Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?
No. Ending a question with a preposition is standard English and has been for centuries: "Who are you waiting for?" The rule against it is a myth from the eighteenth century. Formal writing often moves the preposition forward with whom, but conversation, websites and most books keep it at the end.
When do I use whom instead of who?
Use whom when the word is the object of a verb or a preposition: "Whom did you see?", "With whom did you go?" In everyday questions, who is normal even in object position: "Who did you see?" Whom survives mainly after a fronted preposition and in very formal writing.
Why does the passive keep the preposition at the end?
The preposition belongs to the verb, so it travels with it into the passive: send for becomes be sent for, look after becomes be looked after. The subject takes the place of the object, and the preposition remains after the verb: "The nurse was sent for." The pattern is common with two-word verbs and fixed phrases.
More grammar topics
Future in the past: was going to and would
The past forms of will and going to: plans that may never happen, predictions and interrupted moments.
Would rather vs prefer
Would rather + base verb for one choice now; prefer + noun or -ing for a general taste, and pref ... er ... to ... for comparisons.
Had better: strong advice
A fixed phrase for strong advice: had better + base verb, had better not for warnings, and no to after better.
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