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Vsuresh Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Quote by Winston Churchill on preposition

Could any one tell me what Winston Churchill means by this?

Preposition: An enormously versatile part of grammar, as in 'What made you pick this book I didn't want to be read to out of up for?'

Thank you

  

Top answer

Churchill was keen to show the difficulty of using English correctly. g. not ending a sentence with a preposition) and here he was simply illustrating how confusing things can get.

— David Hatton

  • Churchill was keen to show the difficulty of using English correctly.
  • g.
  • not ending a sentence with a preposition) and here he was simply illustrating how confusing things can get.
  • The actual MEANING of the sentence is tough to work out, but something akin to: I didn't want to read out of this book.
  • You picked the book up.
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3 Answers
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Churchill was keen to show the difficulty of using English correctly. There are some rules he was keen to show as being awkward (e.g. not ending a sentence with a preposition) and here he was simply illustrating how confusing things can get.

The actual MEANING of the sentence is tough to work out, but something akin to:

I didn't want to read out of this book. You picked the boo

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He is more famous for his other beef about prepositions. Prescriptive grammar says that you can't end a sentence with a preposition. Churchill found that someone had changed something in an official document to obey that "rule". He is supposed to have said "This is the kind of nonsense up with which I will not put." Natural English makes that "This is the kind of nonsense which I will not put

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vsureshWhat made you pick this book I didn't want to be read to out of up
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