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Sextus Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Where to place "to"
This question derives from a previous thread.
"The analysis of these issues will let us both better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and assess its coherence."
Now, if I decide to use "allow", what should I say:
"The analysis of these issues will allow us to both better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and assess its coherence."
"The analysis of these issues will allow us both to better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and to assess its coherence."
"The analysis of these issues will allow us both to understand better the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and to assess its coherence." (In this example, the problem is actually the position of "better").
Cheers,
Sextus
"The analysis of these issues will let us both better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and assess its coherence."
Now, if I decide to use "allow", what should I say:
"The analysis of these issues will allow us to both better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and assess its coherence."
"The analysis of these issues will allow us both to better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and to assess its coherence."
"The analysis of these issues will allow us both to understand better the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and to assess its coherence." (In this example, the problem is actually the position of "better").
Cheers,
Sextus
Top answer
I'd choose your first version.
- I'd choose your first version.
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9 Answers
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Do you need the word both?
The analysis of these issues will allow us to better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and to assess its coherence.
Or, since its might have an indefinite antecedent (nature or ou
The analysis of these issues will allow us to better understand the nature of the Pyrrhonean outlook and to assess its coherence.
Or, since its might have an indefinite antecedent (nature or ou
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The whole thing was in a different thread. I'll copy it:
"The purpose of the present paper is twofold. First, to examine what beliefs, if any, underlie (a) the Pyrrhonist’s desire for ataraxia and his account of how this state may be attained, and (b) his philanthropic therapy, which seeks to induce epoche and ataraxia in the Dogmatists by argument. Second, to determi
"The purpose of the present paper is twofold. First, to examine what beliefs, if any, underlie (a) the Pyrrhonist’s desire for ataraxia and his account of how this state may be attained, and (b) his philanthropic therapy, which seeks to induce epoche and ataraxia in the Dogmatists by argument. Second, to determi
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Sextus, hello!
I may be wrong but I like the last of your versions most of all. Because I also think "better" should go after the verb.
I may be wrong but I like the last of your versions most of all. Because I also think "better" should go after the verb.
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Sextus I thought it was clear that "coherence" refers to "outlook", since what one may assess is whether an outlook is coherent.
Most readers would take it that way, I'm sure. I did. But the more I thought about the phrase 'nature of', the more I thought of the possibility that the nature of [something]could be assessed for coherency. It seems
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Split-infinitive:
Also: http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/059.html , particularly: Remember too that infinitive phrases in which the adverb precedes a participle,
Also: http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/059.html , particularly: Remember too that infinitive phrases in which the adverb precedes a participle,
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Thanks for the links, Davkett. They're very useful.
And thanks for your comments as well.
Sextus
And thanks for your comments as well.
Sextus
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Davkett, thank you for the links. But that information is about American English, isn't it? And I am not sure I can apply the same rules in British English.
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