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    Language lab

    "for which" or "which .... for"

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    "for which" or "which .... for"

    Comment
    I can remember correcting Germans and telling them to put for at the end of sentences - then I learnt German and found out that is wasn't completely wrong! I am busy checking a translation for semi-formal to formal course and a sentence ends with "is implemented via the Ethernet for which slots E1 and E2 are used."

    Now, in spoken English this should clearly be "...which slots E1 and E2 are used for." However, what should be written? If I hadn't learnt German I would have said the same - now I'm not sure. What do Americans also think?
    AuthorPete18 Dec 01, 14:29
    Comment
    The 'spoken version' is of course used a lot. I seem to remember from grammar classes way back when though that the 'for which slots ...' would be correct. We were always taught (Canada) never to end a sentence with a dangling preposition.
    #1Author18 Dec 01, 16:01
    Comment
    We in Ireland were taught the same as in Canada
    #2AuthorEvelyn18 Dec 01, 16:26
    Comment
    I believe it is grammatically correct to write "for which." I agree with Canada & Ireland!
    --from Indiana
    #3AuthorDenise18 Dec 01, 16:58
    Comment
    My proposal: Have a look at "Mrs Thistlebottom's Hobgoblins", a hint Ghol gave as a follow-up on Dec. 8 (16.12h) in the 'correct translation?'-section concerning "stati". The URL is there.
    #4AuthorReinhard W.18 Dec 01, 20:12
    Comment
    -
    #5AuthorRoy18 Dec 01, 22:50
    Comment
    In standard American English, you aren't "supposed" to end a sentence with a preposistion, but of course it's widely done (even in official/academic sounding writing). The problem is that a lot of the time the "correct" version sounds awkward. There's a great example in the the Beavis and Butthead movie, where one of the FBI agents is trying to reformulate the sentence "we found the trailer that they were jacking off in", without ending it with a preposition. Of course jacking-off is really one word, but you get the point. So I think it's your call. There's also the old joke about Harvard (or Yale, whatever): A visitor to the Harvard campus stops a student, who is passing by, and asks him, "Can you tell me where the library is at?" To this the Harvard student snootily replies, "at Harvard we do not end sentences with prepositions." Asking again, the visitor says, "OK, can you tell me where the library is at, asshole?"
    #6AuthorRoy18 Dec 01, 22:52
    Comment
    Thanks for the feedback. I won't leave the prepostions dangling :-)

    Although as roy said it sounds strange.
    #7AuthorPete19 Dec 01, 14:16
     
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