When to use “not to” or “to not”
Which of these two sets of examples
- is more correct and why?
I decided not to go to the party.
Why didn’t I go to a party?Tell your sister not to worry about your exam.
Tell your sister not to worry about the exam.
What is the best way to describe the United States of America?
In English, there is a rule against “splitting infinitives”. I call it a “so-called” rule, because it is broken frequently, by authoritative writers.
What is most speakers don’t care about and don’t want my speech disturbed or changed? Both are equally readable in almost all cases. Is a valid scan for both? If your ear detects a slight difference of emphasis between “not to” and “to not” then by all means follow its suggestion.
Is it fine to be aware that there’s a mostly obsolete pedantic argument against constructions such as “to not go”? Is it normal to split your infinitives anyways?
