By Grammar Girl |
Now you can learn Strunk & White’s rules (at least some of them) in rap form thanks to this video from Jake Heller and Ben Teitelbaum:
The Elements of Style from Jake Heller on Vimeo.
The video is funny and well done, but I almost didn’t post it because it perpetuates the myth that you shouldn’t split infinitives. And then I thought, “Hey, it’s a teaching moment!” Let’s talk about it.
Split Infinitives Aren’t Wrong
Strunk & White did, indeed, recommend against splitting infinitives, but the basis for the rule is shaky, dating back to an 1864 book in which the Dean of Canterbury cites only common usage as his reason for preferring not to split infinitives. (If you’re curious, read about the history of the split infinitive rule.) No modern style guide says it’s wrong to split infinitives.
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Thanks to Shelly Brisbin for pointing me to the video.
Mignon Fogarty is the author of Grammar Girl’s 101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
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