For all of you out there who think anti-split infinitive types like us are old fashioned, have a look at this article from The Washington Post and see if you change your mind:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061902920.html
(Even if you don't change your mind, you're still wrong.)
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2 comments:
I love this!
The article is a whoot!
But for those of us who cringe at the thought of hearing "boldly to go where no one has gone before" or even "to go boldly where" instead of "to boldly go where no man has gone before," I recommend the first or the second edition of _Fowler's Modern English Usage,_ which noble work has now been supplanted by Burchfield's less idiosyncratic, more scholarly, and far more dull third edition.
I'll only quote here the justly famous beginning to the moderately-lengthy article on the split infinitive:
"The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and approve; (5) those who know and distinguish.
"1. Those who neither know nor care are the vast majority, and are a happy folk, to be envied by most of the minority classes."
We have copies of the first and second editions at home and in both of our offices (six books total). We have a copy of Burchfield's third edition only at home.
Go. Read. Enjoy.
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