When I was a child in elementary school, I was always trying to push the limits of grammar rules. Construct sentences (like this one) that didn't follow those rules scrupulously. And was told, "Sorry. You have to learn the rules before you break them."
I've learned a bit about the rules since then. I've done a lot of writing and reading. And one thing I do know--those rules are broken quite a bit and often to good effect.
Of course, I grew up with the generation that learned that Winston tasted good "like a cigarette should" (instead of "as," in case you were wondering). I recall there being some controversy over the wording--vague mutterings about sloppy grammar in ad slogans and handbaskets to hell. But copywriting should be done with an ear for how the language sounds, rather than a strict adherence to what the grammar rules dictate. Would the slogan have been as effective (catchy, memorable, etc.) if written correctly? Maybe. But I think not.
This article points out a few grammar and usage rules that can be set aside when copywriting (and, I would argue, doing many other types of writing, depending on the audience, purpose of the work, publication style and other factors). And I would add to the list that rule about not splitting infinitives. It seems nowadays it's okay to boldly split infinitives as no one has ever done before.
(Thanks to Kristen King at Inkthinker for the article link.)
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