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Current Views on Split Infinitives
Even as some grammarians (Alford, cited above; Bache, 1869; Hodgson, 1889) were
condemning the split infinitive, others (Brown, 1851; Onions, 1904; Jespersen,
1905; Fowler and Fowler, cited above) were endorsing it. In the present day, all
reference texts of grammar deem simple split infinitives unobjectionable. (Compound
split infinitives remain controversial; see Special situations below.)
H. W. Fowler later wrote, in his 1926 Dictionary of Modern English Usage, that
writers who avoid split infinitives are “bogy-haunted creatures”. Curme's
Grammar of the English Language (1931) says that, not only is the split infinitive
correct, but it “should be furthered rather than censured, for it makes for clearer
expression”. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (1993) notes that
the split infinitive “eliminates all possibility of ambiguity”, in contrast to
the “potential for confusion” in an unsplit construction. The American
Heritage Book of English Usage quoted above also opposes the condemnation.
Nevertheless, many teachers of English still admonish students against using split
infinitives. Because the prohibition has become so widely known, the Columbia Guide
(1993, above) recommends that writers “follow the conservative path [of avoiding split
infinitives when they are not necessary], especially when you're uncertain of your readers'
expectations and sensitivities in this matter”. When, in a given situation, the only
alternatives to a split infinitive are either awkward and unnatural-sounding or change
the intended meaning, it is often possible to reformulate the sentence (perhaps by
rephrasing it without an infinitive) and thus avoid the issue altogether.
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