Can You End A Sentence With The Word This

Ending a sentence with the word this is not only grammatically permissible but also a powerful stylistic tool when used with intention. Even so, while traditional grammar myths often warn against terminal prepositions or demonstrative pronouns, modern linguistics and professional writing standards recognize that the final position in a sentence carries significant weight. Understanding how to wield this at the end of a clause allows writers to create emphasis, improve flow, and avoid the awkward constructions that arise from rigidly avoiding it.

The Grammatical Legitimacy of Terminal This

The word this functions primarily as a demonstrative pronoun or a demonstrative adjective (determiner). Consider this: as a pronoun, it stands alone to represent a specific noun, idea, or situation previously mentioned or immediately present. As an adjective, it modifies a noun directly (this book, this idea). When this appears at the end of a sentence, it is almost exclusively functioning as a demonstrative pronoun.

Consider the sentence: "I have never seen anything quite like this."

Here, this acts as the object of the preposition like. The pronoun this is designed precisely for this substitutive function. Forcing a noun after it ("like this situation") often adds unnecessary word count without adding clarity. It refers to a specific situation or object. That said, g. Which means , *where are you at? Also, the historical objection to ending sentences with "small words" usually targets prepositions (e. Major style guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style and The AP Stylebook, offer no prohibition against ending sentences with demonstrative pronouns. *), a rule derived from Latin grammar that does not apply cleanly to English syntax Not complicated — just consistent..

People argue about this. Here's where I land on it.

Why Writers Choose This Position

Placing this at the terminal position is a deliberate rhetorical choice. That said, in English, the end-focus principle dictates that the most important or newest information typically comes at the end of a clause. By placing this at the end, the writer signals that the specific referent—the "thing" being pointed to—is the focal point of the utterance.

1. Emphasis and Dramatic Effect When a speaker or writer wants to draw sharp attention to an object, concept, or immediate reality, terminal this creates a verbal finger-point.

• "After years of planning, the moment had finally arrived. This was this."
• "You want to know the secret to success? It is simply this: consistency."

In the second example, the colon introduces an appositive, but the sentence could end on this if the definition follows in the next sentence. The pause before the final word creates anticipation And that's really what it comes down to..

2. Avoiding Clunky "Dummy" Nouns A common error writers make when trying to avoid terminal this is appending a generic noun like thing, matter, point, or situation Simple, but easy to overlook..

• Awkward: "I cannot agree with this idea."
• Natural: "I cannot agree with this."

If the referent is clear from context, the noun is dead weight. Removing it tightens the prose and increases readability scores.

3. Conversational Naturalness Spoken English relies heavily on terminal demonstratives. "Look at this," "Hand me this," "What is this?" Transcribing these naturally into dialogue or first-person narrative requires the terminal position. Sanitizing dialogue to "Look at this object" strips the character of authenticity And it works..

Syntactic Structures That Invite Terminal This

Recognizing the patterns where this naturally falls at the end helps writers identify when the construction is strong versus when it might be vague.

As the Object of a Preposition

This is the most frequent and structurally sound usage. Prepositions (with, for, to, in, on, like, about) naturally precede their objects. When the object is a demonstrative pronoun, the preposition phrase lands at the sentence boundary That alone is useful..

• "We have dealt with this before."
• "No one listened to this."
• "The validity of the argument rests on this."

Attempting to "fix" these by moving the preposition ("With this we have dealt") often results in Yoda-speak or overly formal, stilted prose.

As a Direct Object

Transitive verbs often take this as a direct object, placing it naturally at the end of a standard Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sentence.

• "I don't understand this."
• "Please review this."
• "She predicted this."

As a Subject Complement (Predicate Nominative)

When this follows a linking verb (is, was, seems, becomes), it renames the subject.

• "The problem is this."
• "The result became this."

This structure is common in definitions, summaries, and philosophical statements Simple, but easy to overlook..

In Cleft Sentences

Cleft structures (It is... that/who...) often work with terminal this for extreme focus And that's really what it comes down to..

• "It was this that caused the failure."
• "What I need right now is this."

The Danger Zone: Vagueness and Ambiguity

While grammatically correct, ending a sentence with this carries a specific risk: ambiguous reference. Which means because this is a pointer, it requires a clear antecedent. If the antecedent is a complex clause, a vague concept, or located too far back in the text, the reader stumbles Not complicated — just consistent..

The "Floating This" Problem

• Vague: "The committee reviewed the budget, debated the timeline, and fired the consultant. This was unexpected."
• Question: What was unexpected? The firing? The debate? The review? The entire sequence?

In this example, this is technically at the start of the next sentence, but the same logic applies if the writer combined them: "The committee reviewed the budget, debated the timeline, and fired the consultant, which was unexpected." (Using which is often better for whole-clause references).

Fixing the Ambiguity If you must end a sentence with this, ensure the antecedent is a single, concrete noun or a very specific, immediately preceding idea Worth keeping that in mind..

• Clear: "He handed me a heavy, leather-bound volume. I had never held anything like this." (Antecedent: volume).
• Clear: "The core principle is empathy. Everything flows from this." (Antecedent: empathy/principle).

If the reference is broad, replace terminal this with this [noun] or restructure:

• Better: "The committee reviewed the budget, debated the timeline, and fired the consultant. This decision was unexpected."

This vs. That at the End of a Sentence

The choice between this and that at the terminal position hinges on psychological distance (deixis).

• This implies proximity: near in space, time, or thought. It feels immediate, present, and "here."

• That implies distance: far in space, time, or thought. It feels removed, past, or "there."

• "I am holding the winning ticket. Look at this." (Immediate proximity).

• "I held the winning ticket years ago. Look at that." (Temporal distance).

In abstract writing:

• "We must focus on the present crisis. This demands our attention." (The crisis is "here" in the discourse).
• "The previous administration failed. And That is history. " (The failure is "back there").

Using this for something distant, or *that