B1- B2-C1 Two Placements — End of Clause vs. Before Interrogative Pronoun
| PREP AT THE END OF CLAUSE |
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A clause with an interrogative pronoun —who(m), where, when, why, how —which takes the place of the object in a prepositional phrase, may be worded as a question with the preposition at the end of the clause. See Grammar Notes regarding the long disputed rule "no prepositions at the end".¹
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| QUESTIONS |
Who(m) is a dating service for? ("for" is stranded at the end)
The dating service is for whom?
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Who(m) did you give your number to?
You gave your number to who(m)?
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What kind of hobbies are you interested in?
You are interested in what kind of hobbies?
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What does she look like?
She looks like what?
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Where do you come from?
You come from where?
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What are you concerned about?
You are concerned about what?
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Which card did you pay with?
You paid with which card?
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| SHORT QUESTIONS |
What for? (expression) purpose
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Who for? (expression) recipient
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Where to? (expression) toward a direction
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What with? (expression) means or method, or tool
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| EMBEDDED QUESTIONS= INDIRECT QUESTIONS |
Do you know who she is talking to?
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Do you have any idea what this is for? purpose
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B2-C1
| PREP BEFORE INTERROGATIVE PRONOUN |
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Some speakers prefer to keep the prepositional phrase together. They position the preposition before the interrogative pronoun at the beginning of the clause. While this placement is good for business and academic usage, it may sound overly formal in some contexts that are personal.
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| QUESTIONS |
For whom is a dating service?
Formal wording is appropriate for business, legal, and academic usage.
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To whom did you give your number?
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In what kind of hobbies are you interested? formal
In which kind of program are you interested?
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Like what does she look? not used
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From where do you come? very formal
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~About what are you concerned?
This is overly formal wording for a personal context.
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With which card did you pay? formal
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| SHORT QUESTIONS |
For what? very formal
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For whom? very formal
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To where? very formal
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With what? very formal
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