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Edyee1988 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Sos!isitcorrecttosay onlytonotmakegoodontheirpromise?
is it correct to say"only to not make good on their promise"?
thanks a lot
thanks a lot
Top answer
In the appropriate context it would be correct in an informal conversation. It would be avoided in formal writing, particularly because of the split infinitive. Split infinitives are being accepted more and more, but when the word which creates the split is "not", that's a bit much!
- In the appropriate context it would be correct in an informal conversation.
- It would be avoided in formal writing, particularly because of the split infinitive.
- Split infinitives are being accepted more and more, but when the word which creates the split is "not", that's a bit much!
- It seems to be missing something that comes before it.
- Alone, out of the blue, it would mean very little.
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4 Answers
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In the appropriate context it would be correct in an informal conversation.
It would be avoided in formal writing, particularly because of the split infinitive. Split infinitives are being accepted more and more, but when the word which creates the split is "not", that's a bit much!
It seems to be missing something that comes before it. Alone, out of the blue, it would mean very l
It would be avoided in formal writing, particularly because of the split infinitive. Split infinitives are being accepted more and more, but when the word which creates the split is "not", that's a bit much!
It seems to be missing something that comes before it. Alone, out of the blue, it would mean very l
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As a writer, I don't like "only to not make good on their promise".
Why? First, as California Jim notes, it's a split infinitive. Unless you're Captain Kirk ("To boldly go where no man has gone before"), these are best avoided.
Second, it's a wordy phrase, easily replaced by a shorter one:
only to not make good on their promise (8 words)
only to break their pr
Why? First, as California Jim notes, it's a split infinitive. Unless you're Captain Kirk ("To boldly go where no man has gone before"), these are best avoided.
Second, it's a wordy phrase, easily replaced by a shorter one:
only to not make good on their promise (8 words)
only to break their pr
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