To Not or Not To?

[Kit]

"Taking care to avoid alerting...."

There.

 

[Steerpike]

That works, Kit

I'd keep the original "not to alert," I think, but ultimately you have to be satisfied as the writer.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Yeah, I think I've torn apart Androxine's writing enough in the last couple days. I thought I'd keep my answer simple, that "taking care not to alert him" sounded better than the alternative.

lol It's fine I appreciate your comments!

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

The only practical reason to avoid splitting an infinitive is if it sounds weird. These days the overwhelming majority of style guides have no problem with split infinitives, and there are virtually no readers who do.

 

[ShortHair]

is there a difference between these two phrases? In a section of my text, it reads, "He approached the unaware guard cautiously, taking care not to alert him." Should I change it to say, "taking care to not alert him?"

<puts on Grammar Nazi cap> The first example puts the adverb in front of the infinitive. The second puts it inside the infinitive, thus splitting it. At one time that was frowned upon. Not so much these days. <takes off Grammar Nazi cap>

To my ear, the first one sounds better, but that could be from years of being told to not split infinitives.

 

[Ireth]

but that could be from years of being told to not split infinitives.

I see what you did there. XD