+296.+ You remember when we studied the infinitive in Lesson 9, we found
that it was not good usage to split the infinitive; that is, to put the
modifying word between _to_ and the verb. For example: _We ought to
bravely stand for our rights_. The correct form of this is: _We ought to
stand bravely for our rights_.
But we have found, also, that common usage breaks down the old rules and
makes new rules and laws for itself, and so we frequently find the
adverb placed between the infinitive and its sign.
Sometimes it seems difficult to express our meaning accurately in any
other way; for example, when we say: _To almost succeed is not enough_,
we do not make the statement as forceful or as nearly expressive of our
real idea, if we try to put the adverb _almost_ in any other position.
This is also true in such phrases as _to far exceed_, _to more than
counterbalance_, _to fully appreciate_, and various other examples which
you will readily find in your reading. The purpose of written and spoken
language is to express our ideas adequately and accurately.
So we place our words in sentences to fulfill this purpose and not
according to any stereotyped rule of grammarians. Ordinarily, though, it
would be best not to place the adverb between the infinitive verb and
its sign _to_. Do not split the infinitive unless by so doing you
express your idea more accurately.