On 17 Nov 2003, Karl L. Wuensch wrote: > I'm so anal I've posted my trivial writing pet peeves on the Internet: > http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/wuenschk/therr.htm
Excellent, Karl, with one regrettable exception, your prohibition against split infinitives. Call me old fashioned, you said. You're old fashioned, Karl. Consider this from the New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998), by way of a review of it on Michael Quinion's World Wide Words web page: "The dislike of split infinitives is long-standing but is not well founded, being based on an analogy with Latin. In Latin, infinitives consist only one word (e.g. crescere �to grow�; amare �to love�), which makes them impossible to split; therefore, so the argument goes, they should not be split in English either. But English is not the same as Latin. In particular, the placing of an adverb in English is extremely important in giving the appropriate emphasis ... In the modern context, some traditionalists may continue to hold up the split infinitive as an error in English. However, in standard English the principle of allowing split infinitives is broadly accepted as both normal and useful." So it seems that the informed view is to boldly go to proudly split and to resolutely let the chips fall where they may. Stephen ___________________________________________________ Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy TIPS discussion list for psychology teachers at http://faculty.frostburg.edu/psyc/southerly/tips/index.htm _______________________________________________ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
