Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Q&A about words Splitting infinitives
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
On the question of split infinitives I think that Strunk and White have sound advice to give: trust your ear. In their view, "the split infinitive is another trick of rhetoric in which the ear must be quicker than the handbook. Some infinitives seem to improve on being split, just as a stick of round stovewood does." (What a nice analogy.) Their example is: "I cannot bring myself to really like the fellow." They regard this sentence as more relaxed and natural than the un-split alternative, and I agree. In addition, splitting the infinitive calls attention to the adverb, which can be a desired effect. My example: "...to boldly go where no man has gone before..."
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted ![]()
Splitting infinitives
Verbist 06/23/00 06:21 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
ammelah 06/23/00 06:43 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
AnnaStrophic 06/23/00 06:48 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
AnnaStrophic 06/23/00 06:50 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
ammelah 06/23/00 07:10 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
tsuwm 06/23/00 08:58 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
Verbist 06/24/00 12:22 AM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
Bingley 06/24/00 04:19 AM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
Bingley 06/24/00 01:30 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
paulb 06/24/00 12:29 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
patatty 06/27/00 07:43 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
Bingley 06/28/00 04:33 AM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
paulb 06/28/00 12:01 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
jmh 06/28/00 08:52 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
Bridget 06/29/00 09:50 AM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
tsuwm 06/29/00 06:02 PM ![]()
Re: Splitting infinitives
Jackie 06/28/00 01:15 PM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,915Posts229,922Members9,198 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members testawad, Bill_L, achz, MAGNVSTALSMA, Burlyfish
9,198 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 680 guests, and 3 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 19
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,911tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,949Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org