Why did the chicken cross the road?
It thought it was poultry in motion.
My training progress
last week’s target: 90k
achieved: 63k
year 2008 total to date: 3383k in 44 weeks
this week's target: 90k
weight: 65kg ►◄
Splitting the Infinitive
Grammatical pedantry insists that, when writing and speaking, one should universally avoid splitting the infinitive. I might launch a counter-proposal: to always insist on avoiding the split infinitive is ludicrous and often compromises meaning.
For example, the word "gradually" has different shades of meaning depending on where it appears in the following sentence:
I managed to just run 63k last week, but at least it was 50% further than the previous one. Repeating that this week will bring me up to my target distance, after which I want to gradually increase my total distance, weather and luck with injury permitting.
Another example, a good case for using the split infinitive is in an exchange, where there is an echo of a previous statement made by oneself or by another:
I meant to publish a link to an article entitled "Don’t forget to regularly exercise to improve memory" when it first came out, but I accidentally forgot. In future I will try harder not to "accidentally forget".
Or the use of an emphatic adverb such as "really":
I need you all to really get stuck into training and come out today as we start a new phase of speed endurance.
As a wannabe writer, I wonder should writers learn to not split infinitives? I think not. Rules of grammar can be too tight.
Origin of the prohibition of split infinitives
The rules only emerged in the nineteenth century. But they may be based on a mistaken belief that Latin, where infinitives are only one word, should be the benchmark. One could also argue that the move was anti-France, as the French language makes split infinitives mandatory. Given the English attitude towards the French, such a hypothesis seems very likely.
English is not Latin, however.
A new start
The start of Bulls Head; after ten months of unprecedented consistency, the resumption of a new period of inconsistency?
Neil takes off at O'Connor Ridge
Are speedygeese also "poultry in motion"? I'd say so.
It thought it was poultry in motion.
My training progress
last week’s target: 90k
achieved: 63k
year 2008 total to date: 3383k in 44 weeks
this week's target: 90k
weight: 65kg ►◄
Splitting the Infinitive
Grammatical pedantry insists that, when writing and speaking, one should universally avoid splitting the infinitive. I might launch a counter-proposal: to always insist on avoiding the split infinitive is ludicrous and often compromises meaning.
For example, the word "gradually" has different shades of meaning depending on where it appears in the following sentence:
I managed to just run 63k last week, but at least it was 50% further than the previous one. Repeating that this week will bring me up to my target distance, after which I want to gradually increase my total distance, weather and luck with injury permitting.
Another example, a good case for using the split infinitive is in an exchange, where there is an echo of a previous statement made by oneself or by another:
I meant to publish a link to an article entitled "Don’t forget to regularly exercise to improve memory" when it first came out, but I accidentally forgot. In future I will try harder not to "accidentally forget".
Or the use of an emphatic adverb such as "really":
I need you all to really get stuck into training and come out today as we start a new phase of speed endurance.
As a wannabe writer, I wonder should writers learn to not split infinitives? I think not. Rules of grammar can be too tight.
Origin of the prohibition of split infinitives
The rules only emerged in the nineteenth century. But they may be based on a mistaken belief that Latin, where infinitives are only one word, should be the benchmark. One could also argue that the move was anti-France, as the French language makes split infinitives mandatory. Given the English attitude towards the French, such a hypothesis seems very likely.
English is not Latin, however.
A new start
The start of Bulls Head; after ten months of unprecedented consistency, the resumption of a new period of inconsistency?
Neil takes off at O'Connor Ridge
Are speedygeese also "poultry in motion"? I'd say so.
