| Perikles |
November 02, 2009 01:55 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudgazer
(Post 59340)
1a. Never to split an infinitive is the way to communicate properly in English.
1b. To never split an infinitive is the way to properly communicate in English.
2a. Not to split an infinitive is the way to communicate correctly in English.
2b. To not split an infinitive is the way to correctly communicate in English.
To my AE ear, at least, examples 1b and 2b sound less stilted. .
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To my English ear, 1a and 2a sound correct and natural. 1b and 2b sound - er - American.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudgazer
(Post 59356)
5. The attitude of those who know and distinguish is something like this: We admit that separation of to from its infinitive is not in itself desirable, and we shall not gratuitously say either 'to mortally wound' or 'to mortally be wounded', but we are not foolish enough to confuse the latter with 'to be mortally wounded', which is blameless English nor 'to just have heard' with 'to have just heard', which is also blameless. We maintain, however, that a real s.i., though not desirable in itself, is preferable to either of two things, to real ambiguity, and to patent artificiality.
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I would like to think I belong to this group. |
