Which sentence contains a split infinitive?
A. Our mission is to boldly go where no one has gone before.
B. I am unhappy when I eat alone.
C. I happily went home to read.
D. When did you meet her, here or at the house?
Answer:- The correct option is B. I am unhappy when I eat alone.
A split infinitive is when an adverb or any other word separates “to” from the main verb. For instance, one split infinitive is in the sentence “to boldly go.” No other sentences contain a split infinitives.
Sentence A divides “to go”, but it is technically and widely acceptable to do so. In sentence B there are no split infinitives. Adverb “unhappy” is correct because it refers to the entire clause I am unhappy when eating alone. Sentence C has “went happily”, so there is no infinitive-splitting here as well. It is worth noting that Sentence D does not have any infinitives.
Finally, only sentence B does not contain a split infinitive. Some strict grammarians insist that split infinitives should never be used, but most modern grammar guides recognize the permissibility of their use. Sometimes, inserting an adverb between “to” and a verb can help simplify or naturalize the sentence. Nevertheless, it is considered a stylistic faux pas by others and writers should determine whether the use of split infinitive would brighten or tangle up their writing.
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