Questions with Prepositions at the End in English
Hello English learners! Do you sometimes feel confused by questions with prepositions at the end in English? For example, questions such as Who are you talking to?, What are you worried about?, and Where does he come from? can seem unusual to learners, especially if their first language uses a different word order. In this lesson, you will learn how questions with prepositions at the end work, why they are so common in everyday English, and how to use them naturally.
In modern English, we very often put the preposition at the end of the question. This is especially common in spoken English and informal writing.
In this lesson, we will look at common questions with prepositions at the end, grouped by preposition, so that you can recognise them more easily and start using them more confidently.
Why do prepositions come at the end?
In English, it is very common to ask questions like:
- Who are you talking to?
- What are you worried about?
- Who did you go with?
This word order is natural and correct.
Compare these two versions:
- Who did you go with? ← natural and common
- With whom did you go? ← correct but formal
Both are grammatically possible, but the first one is the one you will hear most often in real life.
Questions Ending in About
We often use about in questions when asking about topics, feelings, worries, and opinions.
|
What are you thinking about? |
I’m thinking about my holiday. |
|
What was the film about? |
It was about love at first sight between a Japanese woman and a Colombian man. |
|
Who are they talking about? |
They are talking about their children. |
|
What is Milly worried about? |
She’s worried about her performance. |
|
What did the customer complain about? |
He complained about the bicycle he had bought in our shop. |
|
What is Tara angry about? |
She’s angry about dinner always being late. |
|
What’s Peter’s business about? |
It’s about real estate. |
|
What’s that noise about? |
A mechanic is trying to fix my car. |
|
What is Mary so excited about? |
She’s excited about her trip to Cuba. |
|
What is this article about? |
It’s about a man whose credit card was stolen. |
Questions Ending in At
Questions ending in at are often used when asking about direction, ability, place, or the object of an action such as looking or laughing.
|
What are you looking at? |
I’m looking at the painting. |
|
Which subjects are you good at? |
I’m very good at Maths. |
|
Which pub did you eat at? |
That nice little pub on High Street. |
|
Whose party were Tom and Brenda at? |
They were at Tom’s birthday party. |
|
What are you laughing at? |
I’m laughing at my dog. He’s so funny. |
|
What age do children start talking at? |
They normally start talking at the age of two or three. |
Questions Ending in By
We often use by to ask about transport, authorship, cause, or passing places.
|
Who is the film directed by? |
It’s directed by a young Brazilian director. |
|
Who is the book written by? |
It was written by Louis Bromfield. |
|
What are you going to travel by? |
We’re going to travel by bus. |
|
Which cities will we be passing by on our way to the Mediterranean? |
We’ll be passing by Rome and Naples. |
|
Who was the charity founded by? |
It was founded by the Queen herself. |
|
What was the damage caused by? |
It was caused by a tornado. |
Questions Ending in For
Questions with for are extremely common. We use them to ask about purpose, duration, reason, benefit, or preference.
|
Who are you waiting for? |
I’m waiting for my mum. |
|
How long have you been here for? |
I’ve been waiting for two hours. |
|
Who do you think we should vote for? |
You should vote for the candidate you like best. |
|
Which films is this actor known for? |
He is known for the film The Last Supper. |
|
Which company do you work for? |
I work for an engineering company. |
|
Who is the present for? |
It’s for the hostess. |
|
What age is this book for? |
It’s for children aged three to five. |
|
What is this town famous for? |
It’s famous for its old cathedral. |
|
What did you go to the shop for? |
I went there for sugar. We had run out. |
|
What are you doing this for? |
I’m doing it for my new project. |
Questions Ending in From
We use from to ask about origin, source, material, or protection.
|
Where does Pete come from? |
He comes from Nepal. |
|
Who is the email from? |
It’s from a friend. He wants to come to England. |
|
Who did you get this perfume from? |
I got it from my boyfriend. |
|
What are you hiding from? |
I’m hiding from my boss. He thinks I’m having a day off. |
|
Where are you from? |
I’m from Italy. |
|
Where does the train come from? |
It comes from Istanbul. |
|
What time is the shop open from? |
We’re open from 8 a.m. on weekdays. |
|
What is steel made from? |
It’s made from iron. |
|
What did she save him from? |
She saved him from drowning in the sea. |
Questions Ending in To
Questions ending in to are often used when we talk about people we speak, write, give, or feel something towards.
|
Who are you talking to? |
I’m talking to my colleague. |
|
Which university did you go to? |
I went to Cambridge. |
|
Who did you sell the car to? |
I sold it to a stranger. |
|
Who are you most grateful to? |
I’m most grateful to my parents. |
|
Who did you address the postcard to? |
I addressed it to my best friend. |
|
Who are you most devoted to? |
I’m most devoted to my children. |
|
Which restaurant are we going to? |
We’re going to an Italian restaurant. |
Questions Ending in With
We use with when asking about company, ingredients, relationships, or things done together.
|
Who are we going with? |
We’re going with Mark and his brother. |
|
Who are you angry with? |
I’m angry with my sister. She took my car without asking. |
|
What did you make this cake with? |
I made it with flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. |
|
Who are you moving in with? |
I’m moving in with my girlfriend. |
|
Who do you live with? |
I live with my parents. |
|
What do you want your pizza with? |
I want it with ham, mushrooms, and cheese. |
|
Who did you argue with? |
I argued with my colleague. |
|
Who are you watching the football match with? |
I’m watching it with David. |
Common Mistake to Avoid
A lot of learners try to translate directly from their own language and produce questions like:
- With who did you go?
- About what are you worried?
- From where does he come?
These forms are not the most natural in everyday English.
Instead, say:
- Who did you go with?
- What are you worried about?
- Where does he come from?
That is the pattern you should learn first, because it is the one native speakers use most often.
Formal vs Natural English
Here are a few useful comparisons:
|
Who are you talking to? |
To whom are you talking? |
|
What are you thinking about? |
About what are you thinking? |
|
Who did you go with? |
With whom did you go? |
|
What are you worried about? |
About what are you worried? |
The formal versions are not wrong, but they can sound rather stiff in ordinary conversation. They are more likely to appear in formal writing, old-fashioned style, or very careful speech.
For most learners, the natural version is the one worth mastering first.
Final Thoughts
Questions with prepositions at the end are a very common part of natural English. They may look unusual at first, but once you become familiar with them, they are quite straightforward.
The main thing to remember is this: in everyday English, it is perfectly normal to ask questions such as:
- Who are you talking to?
- What are you thinking about?
- Where does he come from?
- Who did you go with?
So do not be afraid of these structures. They are not sloppy or incorrect — they are simply how English is usually spoken.
Questions with Prepositions at the End Practice Worksheet – download in PDF
Do the quiz:
Related posts:
Subject and Object Questions in English
Verb + Noun + Preposition Collocations
Adjective + Preposition Collocations
Visit our bookshop for more
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
Discover more from My Lingua Academy
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
1 Comment
Question Tags in English - My Lingua Academy · 23 Apr 2026 at 7:26 am
[…] Questions with Prepositions at the End […]