atw: Re: "50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice"

Ken Randall:
You wrote:
>
> I have read neither the original grammar book nor
>
>>> Pullum's critique, but if the critique says that split infinitives are all 
>>> right,
>>> then it is the critique which is mistaken.
>>>
>>
>> Of all the wrong-headed ideas that early grammarians developed about how the 
>> English
>> language works, the idea of the two-word infinitive is perhaps the most 
>> bizarre,
>> making even "thou shalt not end a sentence with a preposition" look half-way 
>> sensible.
>>
>
> I do not see why not forbidding placing the preposition at the end of the 
> sentence is
> not sensible. Since you have stated that you have some knowledge of German,
> "thou shalt not end a sentence with a preposition" is the unerring norm in 
> German. It
> may not be the present English usage, but is sensible.  German is also a 
> Germanic
> language (obviously), so there is no issue of shoe-horning English into a 
> Romance mould.
>

Oh dear. Does this mean sentences with a verb generally should end?  Or is this 
not something up with which we do not have to put ?  (apologies to Churchill). 

-Peter M 
�peterm_5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
�  
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