The Grammar Doctor

Q.We're having a discussion on where the word " not" should be placed. Here are the two options:

We decided not to go.

We decided to not go.

Do you have any opinions on which is preferable?

A.I prefer " We decided not to go."

I don't object to " We decided to not go" on the grounds of its being a split infinitive, but it sounds awkward to me.

In my opinion (and not everyone will agree with this) it's better to chose what sounds more natural and smooth. Sometimes a split infinitive sounds better than the alternative.

See more about split infinitives


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