Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 16:31:25 -0500

From: Bob Haas rahaas[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HAMLET.UNCG.EDU

Subject: Re: More on warp speed



Using Dale's post as a starting point, I'd like to ask the question--why

are split infinitives bad things? As a journalism major in my undergrad

days, the rule was always cited (particularly by my News Editing

professor) for us students, but never explained, "Because that's the way

it is. Why do you want to know?"



The reason I want to know why this is considered wrong is because we CAN

split our constructed infinitives in English. Of course, one can't split

a one-word infinitive in languages such as French or German or Latin, but

the very fact that we can do such in English simply means that we have a

little more flexibility in that particular aspect. I'd really like to

know because I'd like a little more to tell my interested students than

"Because . . . ."



Bob, who was born to blithely ask what no etc., etc., etc.



On Mon, 12 Feb 1996, Dale F.Coye wrote:



I think every American in their thirties or forties must know what warp

speed means. It was popularized in Star Trek starting in the late 60s and

it's as much a part of our language as "beam me up" or the phrase "to boldly

go where no man has gone before," which gave a legitimacy to the split

infinitive that no antiquated usage guide will ever be able to destroy.