Can an adverb modify an infinitive when the adverb is put before the infinitive?

Question

As far as I know, it is only possible to put an adverb between "to" and a bare-verb and after the infinitive.

But is it possible that an adverb is put before the infinitive even when the adverb modifies the infinitive as in this example S below?

- S. He began slowly to get off the floor.

An English book says sentence S is correct and the same in meaning as this "He began to slowly to get off the floor".

Is that really so?

Could you answer my question?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

fire1Can an adverb modify an infinitive when the adverb is put before the infinitive?

Yes, especially adverbs of negation like 'not' or 'never'.

It is important not to interrupt your teacher in class.

fire1As far as I know, it is only possible to put an adverb between "to" and a bare-verb and after the infinitive.

After the whole infinitive is better. After 'to' is not so good.

fire1
But is it possible that an adverb is put before the infinitive even when the adverb modifies the infinitive as in this example S below?
- S. He began slowly to get off the floor.

Yes, that's possible, but at the end is best.

He began to get off the floor slowly.

fire1
- S. He began slowly to get off the floor.
An English book says sentence S is correct and the same in meaning as this "He began to slowly to get off the floor".
Is that really so?

Yes, but as already mentioned above, putting 'slowly' at the end is the best solution to this problem.

There are, in fact, situations where the only possible choice is to put the adverb at the end.

Here other choices spoil the word order of the idiom:

I wanted to take them seriously. OK.
I wanted to seriously take them. NO!
I wanted seriously to take them. NO!

Here other choices just sound silly:

She likes to talk fast. OK.
She likes to fast talk. NO!
She like fast to talk. NO!

He is able to sing well. OK.
He is able to well sing. NO!
He is able well to sing. NO!

Here there's some room for variation:

We need to detonate the bomb carefully. BEST.
We need to carefully detonate the bomb. Not completely awful.
We need carefully to detonate the bomb. Worst.

This allowed him to proclaim boldly that the senator was wrong. OK.
This allowed him to boldly proclaim that the senator was wrong. Possible.
This allowed him boldly to proclaim that the senator was wrong. Not so good.

CJ

Can an adverb modify an infinitive when the adverb is put before the infinitive?

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