Show TAKE MY WORD FOR FORIT IT By Fr Frank Colby TilE THE SPLIT INFINITIVE up Pin-up Item Q My English class and I t Vj uld be grateful if you'd give us a earth down discussion of the split infinitive I was taught years ago that the split infinitive is to be avoided at all costs But how can one avoid the Uie split plit in such suck sentences sentences' as this I We Ve expect to more than double our attendance 7 Mrs S S. S P. P A. A First of all au the benefit of all readers let us ua see just what i is meant by split infinitive An infinitive is isa a verb that usually is preceded by to as to go to drive to sing to dance Now then when an adverb is inserted between to lito and the verb cro the infinitive is said to have haw b been en Cn split These are arc split infinitives to quickly r to to drive carefully drive to sweetly sweetly I sing to gaily to The old prejudice against splitting the infinitive has lias largely large large- ly disappeared and the split is no longer regarded as improper grammatically This comment r Websters Webster's New International is isa a a good summation of at the consensus consensus sus sue of o the modern authorities The spilling has been widely objected to to but it sometimes is 19 desirable or necessary especially especially espe espe- emily to avert ambiguity In 11 your sentence Mrs P. P there is no way wy to keep from splitting Ve We expect to more than double our attendance O Of course one may avoid avold the tho split spilt by rewording the sentence but It isn't necessary in this case for such expressions as to more than double have long been good usage For the benefit benefit of I F of all my readers teachers teachers' and students especially lly I have pr prepared pared Split Infinitive Leaf Leaflet Jet which goes into much more detail than this hort column will permit The leaflet is well veIl suited for classroom classroom classroom class class- room use If you wish to to have hav a copy of of Mr Colby's Split Infinitive Leaflet Leaflet Leaf Lea let C 17 send in coin and anda a stamped self addressed envelope envelope envelope en en- to Frank Colby in caro of Home Homo Service Bureau S Salt Sat t Lake Telegram Salt SaIt Lake City 10 Co Copyright Bell Syndicate 1918 9 |