Should we be worried about what part of speech to end our sentences with?

There’s a burden in having read the rules. Having done so, you then desperately want to follow them, whether they apply or not. This is so true when it comes to grammar. And even though we know deep down in our hearts that grammar can be descriptive or prescriptive, we usually interpret it as prescriptive, meaning unconsciously we believe it belongs to a natural law and may not be disregarded. And a good rule gives us steady ground on which to stand and allows us to critique others with irresistible smugness. Oh, so good it feels.

Though I fall more in the descriptive camp when it comes to grammar, I too find myself slipping into a prescriptive mindset at times. My apologies for this weakness.

John McWhorter’s recent NYTimes piece discusses placing prepositions at the end of sentences, an issue that blew up a couple of weeks ago in US media when a Merriam-Webster Instagram post argued it’s fine to do so. As McWhorter is so apt to do, he delves into the topic and reveals the silliness of it all. My conclusion is that we should all just relax a bit and stop treating English as if it were Latin. I highly recommend his read:

The ‘Rule’ Against Ending Sentences With Prepositions Has Always Been Silly