The English language is full of supposed grammar rules that many of us learned in school. One persistent myth is that we should never split infinitives, that is, we should never put a word between to and its verb. But like many grammar “rules,” this one deserves to be broken.
First, let me explain what I’m talking about. In the phrase to boldly go, the adverb boldly splits the infinitive to go. For decades, some writers and editors have twisted themselves into knots to avoid such constructions, producing awkward alternatives like to go boldly or boldly to go.
Why did this rule exist in the first place? The answer reveals how arbitrary it is. Some 18th- and 19th-century grammarians believed English should follow Latin grammar rules. In Latin, infinitives are single words that can’t be split. But English isn’t Latin—our infinitives consist of two words that can be naturally separated.
Consider these examples of naturally split infinitives versus their “corrected” versions:
Natural: We expect the economy to gradually improve.
Awkward: We expect the economy gradually to improve.
Natural: She decided to carefully review the document.
Awkward: She decided carefully to review the document.
The “corrected” versions sound stilted and can even obscure or change the meaning. In the second example, does carefully modify decided or review? The “natural” version makes it clear.
By the late 20th century and first decade of the 21st century, the prohibition of split infinitives started to die out. Most style guides and usage experts now accept split infinitives. Even traditionally conservative publications have largely abandoned the rule.
Why does this matter? Because good writing should be clear and natural. When writers contort sentences to avoid split infinitives, they often create confusion or awkwardness that distracts readers from the message. As professional communicators, our job is to convey ideas effectively, not to preserve outdated rules that never made sense in the first place.
More importantly, when writers and editors insist on following nonexistent grammar rules, we damage our credibility. Our expertise lies in helping others communicate clearly and effectively. When we prioritize mythical rules over clear communication, we fail at our core mission.
The next time you’re tempted to unsplit an infinitive, ask yourself: Does this make my writing clearer and more effective?
If not, it’s time to boldly split that infinitive.
A version of this article originally published in May 2018 on Copyediting.com.