For decades and even centuries, respected authorities on writing, reading, editing, grammar and word usage have disputed the following 11 myths and superstitions of writing. Unfortunately, they continue to be taught and followed in education, business, law and government.
Superstitions: "unintelligent applications of an unintelligent dogma."--H.W. Fowler, 1926
Myth: Never split an infinitive.
"There is no point in rearranging a sentence just to avoid splitting an infinitive unless it is an awkward one" -- Porter G. Perrin, 1965.
Other references: Lounsbury, 1908; Fowler, 1926; Leonard, 1932; Curme, 1947; Evans & Evans, 1957; Lewis, 1961; Bernstein, 1965; Follett, 1966; Skillin, 1974; Gowers, 1988; Johnson, 1991; Stott, 1991; Lauchman, 1993; American Heritage, 1996; O'Connor, 1996; Lederer & Dowis, 1999; Sabin, 1999; Lovinger, 2000; Strunk & White, 2000; Trimble, 2000; Wallraff, 2000; Walsh, 2000; Associated Press, 2002; Bryson, 2002; Merriam-Webster, 2002; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003; Williams, 2003.
Myth: Never begin a sentence with But or And.
"One cannot help wondering whether those who teach such a monstrous doctrine ever read any English themselves." -- Charles Allen Lloyd, 1938
Other references on and: Lowth, 1782; Bryant, 1947; Fowler & Gowers, 1965; Follett, 1966; Amis, 1977; Copperud, 1980; Morris & Morris, 1985; Gowers, 1988; Johnson, 1991; Stott, 1991; Burchfield, 1992; American Heritage, 1996; O'Connor, 1996; Lederer & Dowis, 1999; Sabin, 1999; Lovinger, 2000; Wallraff, 2000; Walsh, 2000; Bryson, 2002; Merriam-Webster, 2002; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003; Williams, 2003.
Other references on but: Baker, 1962; Pence & Emery, 1963; Payne, 1965; Follett, 1966; Amis, 1977; Gowers, 1988; Johnson, 1991; Stott, 1991; American Heritage, 1996; O'Connor, 1996; Lederer & Dowis, 1999; Sabin, 1999; Trimble, 2000; Wallraff, 2000; Walsh, 2000; Merriam-Webster, 2002; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003; Williams, 2003.
Myth: Never end a sentence with a preposition.
"In English prepositions have been used as terminal words in a sentence since the days of Chaucer, and in that position they are completely idiomatic." - Theodore M. Bernstein, 1971
Other references: Lowth, 1782; Bryant, 1947; Evans & Evans, 1957; Fowler & Gowers, 1965; Skillin, 1974; Gowers, 1988; Stott, 1991; American Heritage, 1996; O'Connor, 1996; Lederer & Dowis, 1999; Sabin, 1999; Lovinger, 2000; Trimble, 2000; Wallraff, 2000; Woods, 2001; Bryson, 2002; Merriam-Webster, 2002; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003; Williams, 2003.
Myth: Never use between with more than two objects.
"Between essentially does apply to only two, but sometimes the 'two' relationship is present when more than two elements are involved." - Theodore M. Bernstein, 1977
Other references: Lowth, 1782; Bryant, 1947; Fowler & Gowers, 1965; Skillin, 1974; Gowers, 1988; OED, 1989; Johnson, 1991; Lederer & Dowis, 1999; Sabin, 1999; Lovinger, 2000; Wallraff, 2000; Strunk & White, 2002; Walsh, 2000; Associated Press, 2002; Bryson, 2002; Merriam-Webster, 2002; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003.
Myth: Never split a verb phrase.
"Because of their misconception as to what a split infinitive really is, some have reached the erroneous conclusion that an adverbial modifier must never be placed between parts of a compound verb phase …" - R.W. Pence & D.W. Emery, 1963
Other references: Lowth, 1782; Brown, 1852; Fowler, 1926; Baker, 1938; Partridge, 1942; Bernstein, 1965; Follett, 1966; Skillin, 1974; O'Connor, 1996; Sabin, 1999; Lovinger, 2000; Trimble, 2000; Walsh, 2000; Associated Press, 2002; Bryson, 2002; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003.
"Your style will obviously be warmer and truer to your personality if you use contractions like 'I'll' and 'won't' when they fit comfortably into what you're writing." - William Zinsser, 1985
Other references: Lowth, 1782; Bryant, 1947; Flesch, 1967; Ewing, 1974; Stott, 1991; O'Connor, 1996; Sabin, 1999; Trimble, 2000; Garner, 2003.
Myth: Never use the first-person pronouns I and me.
[I]f you want to write like a professional just about the first thing you have to do is get used to the first person singular. … Never mind the superstitious notion that it's immodest to do so. It just isn't so." - Rudolf Flesch, 1958
Other references: Lowth, 1782; Bryant, 1947; Stott, 1991; Lauchman, 1993; O'Connor, 1999; Trimble, 2000; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003.
Myth: Never use since to mean because.
"There is a groundless notion current in both the lower schools and in the world of affairs that since has an exclusive reference to time and therefore cannot be used as a casual conjunction. … No warrant exists for avoiding this usage, which goes back, beyond Chaucer, to Anglo-Saxon. …" - Wilson Follett, 1966
Other references: Copperud, 1980; O'Connor, 1996; Walsh, 2000; Chicago, 2003; Garner, 2003; Williams, 2003.
Myth: Never begin a sentence with Because.
"So novel and absurd is this superstition that seemingly no authority on writing has countered it in print. It appears to result from concern about fragments." - Bryan A. Garner, 2003
Other references: Lowth, 1782; Bryant, 1947; American Heritage, 1996; Merriam-Webster, 2002; Williams, 2003.
Myth: Never write a paragraph containing only a single sentence.
"[T]o interpose a one-sentence paragraph at intervals - at longish intervals - is prudent." - Eric Partridge, 1942
Other references: Hill, 1896; Lauchman, 1993; Lovinger, 2000; Trimble, 2000; Garner, 2003.
Myth: Never refer to the reader as you.
"Keep a running conversation with your reader. Use the second-person pronoun whenever you can. Translate everything into you language." - Rudolf Flesch, 1962
Other references: Olson, DeGeorge & Ray, 1985; Trimble, 2000; Garner, 2003.
Books by the many of the authors below are available at Garbl's Writing Bookshelf.
Source: Larson, Gary B. Garbl's Writing Center. Feb. 15, 2004. May 10, 2004. < http://garbl.home.comcast.net >. Used with permission.