British /Idioms

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British /Idioms
Message from passenger75 posted on 29-12-2013 at 11:02:18 (D | E | F)
Hello,

I've been doing researches about this matter.
Don't you British use a preposition at the end of a sentence?
If not,how do you say,and or write, these sentences?
1)Where are you from?
2)Whom did you bring it for?
3)What was that for?
Or any other sentence ending with a preposition.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely yours.

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Edited by lucile83 on 29-12-2013 11:33

Re: British /Idioms from lemagemasque, posted on 29-12-2013 at 13:19:25 (D | E)
Hello!

I'm not really British but I can say a few things:

1)Where are you from? OK
2)Whom did you bring it for? Not really OK! I don't think you really can say that: it sounds a little bit weird.
"Who did you bring it for?" sounds better.
3)What was that for? OK

I don't know whether it's a really British way of setting those questions yet it's a more colloquial and common way of setting them!
You can also say this:
From where are you?
For whom did you bring it?
For what was that?

They are more formal! Much more formal!

About "who/whom":
Whom did you bring it for? incorrect
Who did you bring it for? colloquial/common
For who did you bring it? less common
For whom did you bring it? formal

See you!

Re: British /Idioms from carr30, posted on 29-12-2013 at 13:20:20 (D | E)
Hi,

1)Where are you from?
2)Whom did you bring it for?
3)What was that for?
..are all perfectly acceptable. Phrasing these questions any other way would sound strange.

There's some explanation and more examples here
Link

Re: British /Idioms from lemagemasque, posted on 29-12-2013 at 13:22:02 (D | E)
Hello carr!

Doesn't this question sound weird to your ears:
"2)Whom did you bring it for?" ?
See you!
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Edited by lemagemasque on 29-12-2013 13:29
Tricky: Link

Re: British /Idioms from passenger75, posted on 29-12-2013 at 14:32:13 (D | E)
Thank you both.
I dare say that "whom did you bring it for?" is grammatically correct.
And in comparison with "who", it's considered more formal.

Re: British /Idioms from lemagemasque, posted on 29-12-2013 at 15:04:45 (D | E)
You're welcome!

"Whom did you bring it for?" still sounds weird to me!
Old and modern English mixed together!

Re: British /Idioms from willy, posted on 29-12-2013 at 15:31:12 (D | E)
Hello!

- Who did you bring it for? (prepositions usually come at the end of who-questions)
- For whom did you bring it? (prepositions normally come before "whom")
PS: "Whom" is unusual in informal modern English. (Michael Swan in "Practical English Usage", 3rd edition, 2005)

Re: British /Idioms from lucile83, posted on 29-12-2013 at 15:50:23 (D | E)
Hello,

I agree with willy and lemagemasque.
You can't say: whom ...for? (with any other verb and preposition).
The correct sentences are either:
- Who did you bring it for?
or:
- For whom did you bring it? (that structure is formal and unusual)

Re: British /Idioms from passenger75, posted on 29-12-2013 at 16:01:01 (D | E)
Thank you.

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