Split Infinitives
When to boldly split infinitives and when to avoid it.
What & why
Where you place an adverb relative to the verb controls which word carries the stress and how naturally the line tracks for a listener. Dropping the adverb between to and the verb often puts emphasis exactly where the meaning lives and matches how people actually speak, so it reads as fluent. Contorting the sentence to avoid the split tends to move the adverb somewhere ambiguous or stilted, adding a small processing snag that pulls attention to the phrasing instead of the idea.
Before & after
“We decided carefully to review the proposal”
“We decided to carefully review the proposal”
When you’ll use it
Mission statements: "We aim to boldly innovate" vs "We aim to innovate boldly" (both acceptable)
Performance goals: "Strive to consistently deliver" vs "Strive to deliver consistently" (emphasis differs)
Training objectives: "Learn to effectively communicate" vs "Learn to communicate effectively" (natural flow)
Strategic planning: "Plan to carefully execute" vs "Plan to execute carefully" (clarity of meaning)
Pro tip
Split when clarity or rhythm improves; avoid when it sounds clunky.
Questions & answers
What are split infinitives and should I avoid them?
When are split infinitives acceptable in business communication?
How do I decide whether to split an infinitive?
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