Split infinitive

[Pamela]

Good morning!

Reading Galsworthy’s piece yesterday I stumbled on such a sentence.

He was unable, however, to long keep silence.

The particle to is separated from the infinitive by an adverb, i.e. the so-called split infinitive. Is split infinitive always met in formal English? Can it be met in colloquial English also?

Thanks!

[Alan]

Hi Pamela,

There is really nothing wrong with 'splitting an infinitive'. Old grammarians started this myth in the past because they said you couldn't do it in Latin when that language was considered to be the final arbiter on language. But then this isn't Latin, it's English!

I would only say that sometimes for reasons of balance if you put too much between 'to' and the infinitive, it can sound awkward. Incidentally back in the 17th century the poet, John Milton was Latin Secretary to Cromwell during that period when we were a republic and had cut the head off our king. He wrote the most famous epic in English called Paradise Lost.

He wanted to write it in English and some of his friends said it should be written in Latin because English would never last. How wrong they were and how glad I am!

A
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[Pamela]

Thank you so much, Alan, for such a detailed feedback! And can you imagine how glad I am that their groundless assumptions haven’t come true