Meaning of split infinitive | Babel Free

Definitions

An infinitive with one or more modifiers inserted between the to and the verb.

Equivalents

Examples

“Yeah, Ronnie! (or, the Split⟳ Infinitive of the Year, possibly the Century) – on being asked if the New York Times report⟳ was true that the 1983 deficit will be $124 billion, rather than the $91.5 billion in the Reagan budget … A: 'I couldn't answer⟳ until we have⟳ to, by law, shortly, in a couple of weeks, present⟳ an updated project.'”

“The split⟳ infinitive was regrettable, but the writers of Star Trek came up with the phrase to capture⟳ the essential idea brought to mind⟳ at the mention⟳ of the words "frontier" and "pioneer": "to boldly go where no man has gone before."”

“Such fetishes as insisting on It's I, not ending sentences with prepositions, and avoiding split⟳ infinitives are all dismissed as the nonsense they are.”

CEFR level