{"id":9761,"date":"2015-07-17T13:50:51","date_gmt":"2015-07-17T20:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-crowdcontent.com\/?p=9761"},"modified":"2015-07-17T13:50:51","modified_gmt":"2015-07-17T20:50:51","slug":"split-infinitives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/resources\/writer\/university\/style\/split-infinitives\/","title":{"rendered":"Split Infinitives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Split Infinitives<\/h2>\n

If I controlled the English language, we wouldn\u2019t need this lesson because split infinitives should be a non-issue.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, self-appointed know-it-alls are still insisting the split infinitives are wrong, even though they aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the issue?<\/em><\/p>\n

Split Infinitives: A Problem?<\/h3>\n

An infinitive is the word \u201cto\u201d plus a verb.<\/p>\n

Examples: to conspire, to write, to dance, to laugh<\/em><\/p>\n

When you put a word, generally an adverb, in between the \u201cto\u201d and the verb, that\u2019s called splitting the infinitive.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Examples: to maliciously conspire, to frantically write, to passionately dance, to awkwardly laugh<\/em><\/p>\n

The Latin Problem<\/h3>\n

In the 1800s, scholars loved Latin. As a Latin student myself, I sometimes dream of going back to those good-old-days. But there was a problem.<\/p>\n

Some grammarians tried apply Latin rules to English grammar, even though English isn\u2019t Latin. Most Latin infinitives are a single word, so they can\u2019t be split<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Those Latin loving grammarians decided that if Latin infinitives couldn\u2019t be split, neither could English ones.<\/p>\n

Of course, the problem is that English infinitives are constructed completely differently from Latin ones, so it doesn\u2019t make sense to follow the same rules.<\/p>\n

The Problem Today<\/h3>\n

Today, there is disagreement about whether or not split infinitives are acceptable. The websites that I looked at all said that split infinitives are allowed, but also said that they would hesitate to use split infinitives because some people still believe that they\u2019re wrong.<\/p>\n

What should you do?<\/p>\n

If you have a split infinitive, try rewriting it. Most split infinitives don\u2019t need to be split.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Split:<\/strong> Jabari decided to stealthily tiptoe to the cookie tin.<\/p>\n

Not split:<\/strong> Jabari decided to tiptoe stealthily to the cookie tin.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, though, the meaning of a split infinitive is different when you don\u2019t split it, or the non-split version sounds awkward.<\/p>\n

Split:<\/strong> I decided to quickly write the product descriptions.<\/p>\n

Not split:<\/strong> I decided to write the product descriptions quickly.<\/p>\n

Split:<\/strong> It feels good to really laugh.<\/p>\n

Not split:<\/strong> It feels good to laugh really.<\/p>\n

If your non-split version doesn\u2019t work as well as your split infinitive, try to ask your client about it.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t hear back from him or her, I think you\u2019re safe to leave it in, since it can always be edited during the revision process.<\/p>\n

Learn More:<\/p>\n