One of the most common preposition mistakes is adding an unnecessary at to the end of a question.
Where is your brother at?
Although this is common in some English dialects, it’s considered nonstandard in writing. You can fix the problem by simply deleting the at.
Where is your brother?
On the bright side, if you’re not sure which preposition to use, sometimes you can just get rid of it altogether. In fact, you should always get rid of unnecessary prepositional phrases. Too many prepositions can be a sign of flabby writing. Look at how many prepositions appear in the sentence below:
For many people, the reality of an entry into a new area of employment is cause for a host of anxieties.
Getting rid of the prepositions forces you to tighten up the sentence. The result is shorter, more direct, and easier to understand:
Changing careers makes many people anxious.
Here’s another example:
Alex hit the baseball up over the fence.
Get rid of the up. You don’t need it:
Alex hit the baseball over the fence.
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