the latin infinitive is the closest thing in the 'classics' to the english to+base verb

and so people decided that the particle 'to' was an inseparable part of the verb, like the infinitive in latin. They basically wanted people to stop putting adverbs after 'to' because they were exceptions which didn't fit the rules of latin. That way, 'to' could be seen to be an integral part of the verb and likened to the infinitive in Latin.

Latin is a very organised, structured language. English is not. You can not use the same systems to prescribe or even describe the rules of the two languages.

Anyway, i shouldn't be defending my case at all, you should be justifying why a split infinitive is so bad. What happens if people use split infinitives? Does the entire language crumble around us and we have to go around using sign language to communicate?

Posted By: Dave in France on July 13th 2007 at 16:33:27

Message Thread

OK, what can you see out of your window right now? (n/m) (General Chat) - BSE Canary, Jul 13, 15:12:28
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- STATIONNEMPENT INTERDIT (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:40:57
  - and without the p (n/m) (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:41:09
    - But the spelling doesn't matter (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:42:25
      - true (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:45:24
        
        .................... (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:48:32
        
        good point (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 15:50:01
        
        By the way (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:55:06
        
        exactly (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 16:03:23
        
        But you said (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:08:05
        
        the use of the word "infinitive" for to + verb (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 16:15:39
        
        But Dave (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:23:23
        
        the latin infinitive is the closest thing in the 'classics' to the english to+base verb (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 16:33:27
        
        I'm not going there, because we're never going to agree and the argument would descend (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:49:21
        
        wiki alert, cheat cheat cheat cheat (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 16:51:38
        
        It's in quotes you twat (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 16:53:45
        
        i could use wiki to back up my argument too (General Chat) - Dave in France, Jul 13, 17:01:52
        
        No, I agree that there is no definitive answer, and that essentially it is a style point (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 17:08:42
        
        So what you're saying is it didn't really matter that someone made an input error on here? (n/m) (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 17:11:56
        
        I quite enjoyed all that (n/m) (General Chat) - camcan, Jul 13, 17:11:12
        
        I wasn't, I have no idea what either of you are talking about (n/m) (General Chat) - etc etc, Jul 13, 16:57:29
        
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- Carrow Road (n/m) (General Chat) - Brom, Jul 13, 15:15:53
- The sea (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:15:20
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    - Too (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:29:04
      - Don't let the door handle slide into your arse on the way out (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:32:28
        
        Why on earth not? (n/m) (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:36:56
        
        Cos it makes it slippery for the next person (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:39:13
        
        Not slippery...... (General Chat) - Gay_Nigel, Jul 13, 15:42:02
        
        Bye bye big boy (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Git, Jul 13, 15:43:11
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