I had to struggle to find something, and all I got is a split infinitive, if you care about that kind of thing. The split infinitive is one of those grammar no-nos that is becoming accepted in a growing number of writing circles.
Point it out. We'll see how much it bothers me. lol
"... to only use ..." where 'to use' (the infinitive) is split with the word 'only'. If you were a grammarian (like myself, I suppose), you would write it "... to use only..."
Trivia for Star Trek fans (though it should be easy): what is the most famous split infinitive phrase?
To blithely say (sorry!) that the use of a split infinitive is bad is to wantonly (sorry!) ignore the possibilities of a flexible language structure for the sake of rigidity.
And, how could you not like star trek? You grammar borg, you!
To blithely say (sorry!) that the use of a split infinitive is bad is to wantonly (sorry!) ignore the possibilities of a flexible language structure for the sake of rigidity.
And, how could you not like star trek? You grammar borg, you!
Point it out. We'll see how much it bothers me. lol
"... to only use ..." where 'to use' (the infinitive) is split with the word 'only'. If you were a grammarian (like myself, I suppose), you would write it "... to use only..."
Trivia for Star Trek fans (though it should be easy): what is the most famous split infinitive phrase?
I once wrote a poem about splitting infinitives which was full of split infinitives. I wonder if I still have it somewhere - this was at least twenty years ago. It was called To Boldly Split Infinitives.
I once wrote a poem about splitting infinitives which was full of split infinitives. I wonder if I still have it somewhere - this was at least twenty years ago. It was called To Boldly Split Infinitives.
Was it epic format or a haiku?
To solemnly split Verb from its preposition Is to really live
I once wrote a poem about splitting infinitives which was full of split infinitives. I wonder if I still have it somewhere - this was at least twenty years ago. It was called To Boldly Split Infinitives.
Was it epic format or a haiku?
To solemnly split Verb from its preposition Is to really live
I slept very poorly last night knowing you turkeys were deliberately being insensitive to my grammarian preferences.
To blithely say (sorry!) that the use of a split infinitive is bad is to wantonly (sorry!) ignore the possibilities of a flexible language structure for the sake of rigidity.
And, how could you not like star trek? You grammar borg, you!
Now now, you are being antagonistic (again)!
I admit that language evolves. I've seen it. I've studied it. I appreciate the evolution of language over time. Etymology is fascinating.
What I think is problematic is "rapid evolution", or erosion. Text messaging and electronic short form are doing things to language that are not evolution. The arbitrary simplification of spelling (night to nite, for example, or through to thru) is more a sign of illiteracy to me than evolution, as it destroys the inherent etymology of the word to accommodate people who fail dictations in grade school, and to accommodate McDonald's need to make smaller signage.
For myself, being more a grammarian than a trendy-cool-liberal-hip-language-use-writer person, I feel that language should be "resilient" or "robust". It should be flexible enough to allow genuine evolution, but not so flexible that anything written on a blog or forum board or a sign makes its way into the Oxford English Dictionary.
But again, I am admittedly more grammarian than others. Most people who have studied language, linguistics, or literature often are. Conversely, it is usually those who have not studied these things that advocate for a greater organic evolution to language.
If I may make an analogy.
I can't save people's lives through surgery. I just can't do it. I haven't studied how to. How much weight, therefore, should my opinion have in a public debate about cutting funding to medical programs and research? (For the record, I haven't ever been asked to lend my opinion to such public debates.)
So how organic should language evolution be? I say: "Is there a doctor of literature in the house? His opinion is one worth listening to".
Back to the split infinitive that led to me being called a grammar borg; split infinitives is one of those things that is genuinely evolving out of some circles of the English language, and I think it's alright and OK. For the record, I am not against the evolution of language.
As for not liking Star Trek... I guess, on the scale of Star Trek to Star Wars, where Star Wars is impressively cool, and Star Trek is... less impressively cool, I favour Star Wars.
More seriously, about this grammar borg accusation... I'm pretty sure you are the one being borgish. You are pushing the popular argument (about organic language), trying to assimilate me. You are the collective, you are The Square, you are the one saying "resistance is futile, language evolves, give in to pop-writing culture, pwned lol kthxbai". And I say, resistance is not futile.
Hihi... I am more a grammar Ferengi! Rules to the highest bidder! Kidding. And of course my whole previous post was just a joke. I merely wanted to maliciously split an infinitive! My degree is also in literature (and computer stuff) and I collect old dictionaries for fun, so you will find I actually agree with you, even if my english is not always perfect. Also, I wanted to write a terrible haiku.
Edit to add that I have seen a cv written in text speak. And yes, the person was serious with it!!! It was worth a good laugh and then a good cry.
Oh this is an interesting conversation. Of course, being just able to speak a scholar english, dammaged by years of working in an anglo-american environment - you know, those discussions about colour vs color etc. - I can only be amazed about grammatical subtilities of which I had never heard. I speak fluent German (and french if course) and having a closer look at these split infinitives, I wonder if they could not have their origin in the german language. The famous Star Trek sentence shows a typical german phrase construction. Could be that this originated from people with a german background who "adapted" english following german's phrasing contruction? Btw, I love Star Trek, the ones with J.L. Picard not those after his time.
Well, English is more a germanic language than it is anything else. But, it's hip to be square. Now, having said that, does the website/landing page (this thread's subject) look okay?
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I had to struggle to find something, and all I got is a split infinitive, if you care about that kind of thing. The split infinitive is one of those grammar no-nos that is becoming accepted in a growing number of writing circles.
It certainly won't hurt.
