2016年9月17日土曜日

Split infinitive

There is the scene from Two Weeks Notice (2002), in which Harvard educated lawyer Lucy Kelson (Sandra Billock) gives a feedback to the letter read by George Wade (Hugh Grant), a public face of some big company. It is actually a love letter by the latter.


The letter goes as follows:
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George Wade: I need your advice on one last thing, then I promise you will never hear from me again. You see, I've just delivered the first speech I've written entirely by myself since we met, and I think I may have blown it. I want to ask your thoughts. Okay? Then I will read it to you. I'd like to welcome everyone on this special day. Island Towers will bring glamour and prestige to the neighborhood and become part of Brooklyn's renaissance. And I'm very pleased and proud to be here. Unfortunately, there is one fly in the ointment. You see, I gave my word to someone that we wouldn't knock down this building behind me. And normally, and those of you who know me or were married to me can attest to this, my word wouldn't mean very much. So why does it this time? Well, partly because this building is an architectural gem and deserves to be landmarked and partly because people really do need a place to do senior's water ballet and CPR. Preferably not together. But mainly because this person, despite being unusually stubborn and unwilling to compromise and a very poor dresser, is... she's rather like the building she loves so much. A little rough around the edges but, when you look closely, absolutely beautiful. And the only one of her kind. And even though I've said cruel things and driven her away, she's become the voice in my head. And I can't seem to drown her out. And I don't want to drown her out. So, we are going to keep the community center. Because I gave my word to her and because we gave our word to the community. And I didn't sleep with June. That's not in the speech, that's just me letting you know that important fact. What do you think?

Lucy Kelson: I have to get back to work.

George Wade: Right. Right, yes. Sorry to disturb you. Congratulations, again, Polly.
[leaves]

Lucy Kelson: Aside from the split infinitive that was somewhere in the middle, that speech was actually quite perfect, wasn't it?
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In response to his highly romantic speech, Lucy replies that it was fine except the use of "the split infinitive." Split infinitive is a grammatical construction in which an adverb comes between the "to" and the infinitive verb that follows it such as:

--- to deeply think about it
--- to finally come to the conclusion
--- to reluctantly admit

These construction is thought as incorrect, especially in the official academic arena.

On closer inspection, however, Wade's speech doesn't contain split infinitive!

The point is this. Lucy, who is the master of composition, wanted to find in his writing some mistakes, but ended up finding nothing but a perfect one (grammatically and emotionally). Reference to "split infinitive" is reflection of her feeling that she wants to hide kind of embarrassment.      

Why? Because split infinitive is the typical grammatical mistakes which native people often make.

To be continued...

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