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Subject:Directions below, etc. From:Bob Johnson <bob -dot- johnson -at- CELERITYSOLUTIONS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 21 Jul 1998 13:16:59 -0400
Gina Hertel wrote:
>Which one is it?
>If you wish to see a listing of all Destinations and their properties,
>follow the *below directions*.
>If you wish to see a listing of all Destinations and their properties,
>follow the *directions below*.
>I thought we weren't supposed to end sentences with a preposition, yet
I've
>had two co-workers opt for the latter. Any ideas?
In this case, your coworkers are correct. They are not, in fact, ending
a sentence with a preposition. In this case, "below" is an ADVERB.
Check the online Merriam Websters if you doubt me. (I did to confirm my
initial suspicion.)
Therefore, grammatically, or otherwise, I see no problem with "follow
(ing) the directions below."
Besides, "the below directions" is grating just to think about!
Bob Johnson
Documentation and QA Specialist
Celerity Solutions
Dedham, MA
