You’re totally wrong!” Rakoff cried. He explained that the…
““You’re totally wrong!” Rakoff cried. He explained that the rule against split infinitives was just a bizarre invention by some pedants in the late nineteenth century to have English mimic Latin, in which infinitives are one word. All the great authors—Shakespeare! Faulkner!—split the infinitive.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Split infinitives are historically arbitrary; many great authors used them despite prescriptive rules.
In simple terms: Grammar rules can be flexible.
Focus on meaning over strict rules.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- editing
- writing instruction
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When is rule-breaking effective?
- How do readers perceive split infinitives?
May downplay importance of clarity.