Ending Sentence in Prepostion

[vm1112]

Why is it not good to end sentences in prepositions? Are these sentences incorrect?

This is where I'm coming from.
I'm planning to get in.

Explain...thx.

[mykwyner]

There is a lot of argument about this so-called rule, but almost all style books and usage guides say that it is not a rule of English. Many prepositions function as particles that are attached to verbs and create specific units of meaning. You look up a phone number and start up an engine, but nothing goes up. It is wrong, however, to end a sentence with an unnecessary preposition:

Where is the library at?
I don't know where he went to.

But, if you say, "With whom did she go?" instead of, "Who did she go with?" you'll sound like a pretentious dweeb.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by vm1112

Why is it not good to end sentences in prepositions? Are these sentences incorrect?

This is where I'm coming from.
I'm planning to get in.

Explain...thx.

I agree with mykwyner up to his last statement. It is not a mistake to use an appropriate preposition at the end of a sentence, particularly in speech and informal writing. However, there are still many who object to that practice in very formal writing. Judge your audience. While it may be true that "to whom" will be viewed as pretentious in some curcumstances, failure to use that construction in others will lead to questions about your educational background.

[mykwyner]

Q.e.d.