What are you talking about? - English example sentence

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Eldad September 28, 2012 September 28, 2012 at 12:42:14 AM UTC

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There is an extra space:
about ? >> about?

Horus January 20, 2015 January 20, 2015 at 1:13:33 PM UTC

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Horus June 27, 2015 June 27, 2015 at 3:30:10 PM UTC

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Horus October 23, 2015 October 23, 2015 at 2:30:03 AM UTC

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nonong February 14, 2016 February 14, 2016 at 5:52:16 PM UTC

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It's colloquial, "illegally" ending with a preposition.

More formal: "About what are you talking?"

Raizin February 14, 2016, edited February 14, 2016 February 14, 2016 at 6:10:59 PM UTC, edited February 14, 2016 at 6:18:34 PM UTC

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@Nonong: The rule that you can't send a sentence in a preposition is made up by prescriptivist grammarians. They liked it that way because that's how Latin works.

While the it is still taught in some schools, most English speakers have ignored the rule since it was made up, and there is not really a strong basis for it existing.

Even English language authorities such as Merriam-Webster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OLxLK_R6jQ) and Oxford Dictionaries (http://www.oxforddictionaries.c...tions-american) say that a preposition is a perfectly appropriate kind of word to end a sentence with.

nonong February 14, 2016 February 14, 2016 at 6:17:15 PM UTC

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In Canada, ending with prepositions in English is still considered bad English, though acceptable colloquially. There's, of course, influence in thinking from the USA.

Raizin February 14, 2016, edited February 14, 2016 February 14, 2016 at 6:23:37 PM UTC, edited February 14, 2016 at 6:24:00 PM UTC

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Note that Oxford is a British university, not American. So disregarding that rule is not just an American thing; it's a much more world-wide phenomenon.

nonong February 14, 2016 February 14, 2016 at 6:32:23 PM UTC

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In Canada, in essay-writing in English, ending a sentence with a preposition is a no-no. But as I said, it's acceptable colloquially--in speaking!

Ooneykcall February 14, 2016 February 14, 2016 at 10:16:44 PM UTC

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Essays aren't done in neutral style though. It's formal style. Formal style doesn't equate to written style. Neutral style accepts these sentences well. Doesn't have to be colloquial.