split infinitive
Frequency: 7.015.0 per million words
An infinitive with an adverb or other word placed between 'to' and the verb.
Categories:
Examples (10)
- The use of the split infinitive is now generally acceptable.
- Grammar purists once frowned upon the split infinitive.
- Many writers deliberately employ the split infinitive for emphasis.
- An example of a split infinitive is "to boldly go."
- Modern English often features the split infinitive in everyday speech and writing.
- Some style guides still recommend avoiding the split infinitive in highly formal contexts.
- Identifying a split infinitive involves looking for a word between "to" and a verb.
- The split infinitive can sometimes make a sentence clearer or more natural.
- Whether to use a split infinitive depends largely on the desired nuance and audience.
- He chose to split the infinitive to convey a sense of urgency.