Comments on: I fail to really see what the fuss is about: there are worse things in life than splitting an infinitive http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/splitting-an-infinitive Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:58:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Maria http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/splitting-an-infinitive/comment-page-1#comment-2657 Maria Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:59:06 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=1121#comment-2657 She decided to gradually get rid of the teddy bears she had collected.---> She decided to gradually rid herself of the teddy bears she had collected. She decided to gradually get rid of the teddy bears she had collected.—>
She decided to gradually rid herself of the teddy bears she had collected.

]]> By: Russell Cross http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/splitting-an-infinitive/comment-page-1#comment-573 Russell Cross Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:50:28 +0000 http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/?p=1121#comment-573 I'm pretty sure that there is no formal definition of "clumsiness" as a word in linguistics but I'm pretty convinced there could be. Apart from wanting a sentence to convey information accurately, I definitely prefer an elegant phrase to a clumsy one. Splitting or not splitting infinitives only irks me if the resulting construction sounds strained. If an adverb trips clumsily over an infinitival <i>to</i>, then I recommend avoiding the split. But if the <i>to</i> and infinitive can be delicately pried apart and the subsequent insertion result in a thing of beauty and a joy forever, then split away. I’m pretty sure that there is no formal definition of “clumsiness” as a word in linguistics but I’m pretty convinced there could be. Apart from wanting a sentence to convey information accurately, I definitely prefer an elegant phrase to a clumsy one. Splitting or not splitting infinitives only irks me if the resulting construction sounds strained. If an adverb trips clumsily over an infinitival to, then I recommend avoiding the split. But if the to and infinitive can be delicately pried apart and the subsequent insertion result in a thing of beauty and a joy forever, then split away.

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