I received two queries which I will discuss this week. The first one is from a regular reader of this column: Is the use of ‘for’ in the following sentences correct?
a. For emergency contact number 9XXXXXXXXXX (seen in some notice boards)
b. Children’s home shut for sexual abuse (a headline in the September 4 issue of The New Indian Express)
1. It is incorrect to say: ‘For emergency contact...’ The correct preposition is ‘in’ and the notice should read: In an emergency, please contact 9999999999.
2. Children’s home shut for sexual abuse. The preposition ‘for’ in the newspaper headline is correct. ‘For’ means ‘because of or as a result of something’. Here are two examples with the meaning:
• I didn’t discuss the matter with the trainer for three reasons.
• He presented a precious gift to his girlfriend just for love.
The second query is from a reader in Mangalore: Is it wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?
There is a traditional rule that says that it is not correct to end a sentence with a preposition because preposition is always placed before a noun. It is not always true. It is one of many grammar myths. I have come across many sentences that end with a preposition. Look at these examples:
1. Though John has less experience than Peter, John is paid more than Peter. That is something I can’t agree with.
2. You have hurt your left foot. What did you step on?
3. I know where the student comes from.
One can also restructure the sentences as follows:
1. Though John has less experience than Peter, John is paid more than Peter. That is something with which I can’t agree.
2. You have hurt your left foot. On what did you step?
3. I know from where the student comes.
The first set of sentences sounds more natural than the revised sentences in the second set. While speaking the first set should be preferred because speaking English is different from writing. Phrasal verbs are words that end with prepositions. Phrasal verbs are: give up, get along, go through, get on with, log in, log on, walk off, walk out, walk away, run someone out, run over, and run through. Here are examples of sentences that end with a phrasal verb:
1. He has a habit of smoking in his office. Why can’t he give it up?
2. On two occasions in this series, Muthaiah Muralidharn ran Sachin Tendulkar out.
The following sentences are incorrect because prepositions are not required:
1. What did you discuss about?
2. Where are you at?
3. Where did you go to?
4. When did you arrive on?
By removing the prepositions, we can make them grammatically acceptable. The expression ‘what … for’ means ‘why’ and the preposition ‘for’ can occur at the end of the sentences as in the following examples:
• What did you meet him for?
• What are you claiming the amount for?
— rayanal@yahoo.co.uk
