To Split or To Not Split

What is your take on split infinitives? Can I use them, can I not use them? Signed, To Boldly Go

Dear TBG,

I say split away. Well, that's what I say, but that's not what I do. The only reason we were taught not to split English infinitives was because eighteenth-century grammarians were intent on stuffing our blousy Germanic language into the tuxedo of Latin, the language of their one true God. In Latin, as in the romance languages that grew from it—Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, among others, including countless dialects—it's impossible to split an infinitive because their infinitives consist of one word. Nevertheless, as absurd as I find the rule, I still have trouble splitting. Alas, yet another personal quirk.

A beacon of light shines, however, in the following footnote from The Chicago Manual of Style, 14^th Edition:

"The thirteenth edition of this manual included split infinitives among the examples of 'errors and infelicities' but tempered the inclusion by adding . . . they are a debatable 'error.' The item has been dropped from the fourteenth edition because the Press now regards the intelligent and discriminating use of the construction as a legitimate form of expression and nothing writers or editors need feel uneasy about. Indeed, it seems to us that in many cases clarity and naturalness of expression are best served by a judicious splitting of infinitives" (page 76).

Finally, as in so many cases, it comes down to yet another style choice. It depends on the publishing house, your audience, the impression you want to make, and your ability to cast off the yoke of grammatical rules that make no sense.

Thank you for the question.