Affentitten Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 My PhD supervisor objects to the following sentence, saying that I have split an infinitive: "It can be seen that experiences have been for the most part positive, albeit with differing perspectives on some of the technical aspects of implementation." I believe she means that I have 'split' the "to be positive". I say that is no infinitive, since I am using the present perfect of the verb to be, and positive is acting as an adjective anyway. Support? Rebuttal? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 I'm glad you are so busy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 I know. It would just be nice to win a point. I have to go in front of the Star Chamber next week to justify why I should be kept on as a candidate (SOP for all candidates after 1 year f/t candidacy) and I am getting hammered on just about every aspect of the 15000 word report I have to submit as part of that! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Meh. Don't sweat it. I've just finished a course that basically consisted of getting hammered on every aspect of my performance, 24/7, for 7 weeks. Most of it is just to see if you crack and fold. You know this, but; be confident, and don't fold. Once you start conceeding, it's hard to stop, and before you know it you'll be reduced to a drooling puddle of self doubt. You're a smart guy who writes very well. Be polite, but back yourself. (for example, even if it *is* a split infinitive ... who cares? It reads well, and makes perfect sense.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 My PhD supervisor objects to the following sentence, saying that I have split an infinitive: "It can be seen that experiences have been for the most part positive, albeit with differing perspectives on some of the technical aspects of implementation." I believe she means that I have 'split' the "to be positive". I say that is no infinitive, since I am using the present perfect of the verb to be, and positive is acting as an adjective anyway. Support? Rebuttal? Ask how the f**k come it is that a faculty advisor has never heard of predicate adjectives. That ought to straighten her back! Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 ...even if it *is* a split infinitive ... It isn't. Honest. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costard Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Tell her that ignorance is a reason, not an excuse, for her incorrect call on your writing. She's just plain wrong. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseltaylor Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 I suppose she is prepared to say Gower is wrong also? I mean if he says they can be OK whats with trying to make a case on them anyway? Regarding the "rule" to avoid splitting infinitives: "It is a bad rule, which many people (including good writers) reject. It increases the difficulty of writing clearly and makes for ambiguity by inducing writers to place adverbs in unnatural and even misleading positions." - Ernest Gower, The Complete Plain Words =) Examples of, and consequences. http://everything2.com/title/How+to+correctly+split+infinitives 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 I can only offer you this advice: don't bring a knife to a pissing competition. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 I've seen better sentences though. "It can be seen that..." seems somewhat superfluous. Personally I would make "...for the most part..." a subordinate clause as it can be left out with no adverse effects on the sentence. That said, using "mostly" instead would carry the same meaning with three less words. But* I'm an engineer so my writing skills should be regarded with some suspicion. *case in point. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoolaman Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 It's a PhD thesis, the whole thing is superfluous. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Belenko Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Tell her "I are allways tried to right more better english." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 As Churchill said of the prohibition on split infinitives: "It is rule up with which we should not put". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 As Churchill said of the prohibition on split infinitives: "It is rule up with which we should not put". No, that was ending sentences in prepositions. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 phd = piled higher (and) deeper. Academia is all about knowing more and more about lessand less until, at the apex, you know absolutely everything about nothing at all......few reach such heights, but it does not surprise me that Aff is aspiring to them 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 Well I don't take offence to that because it is true. In a way, it's a little bit disillusioning because you get trapped in narrower and narrower alleys. I'm going through that journey at the moment, realising that what I am doing now bears little relation to what I started out wanting to do! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/10/watch-a-dissertation.html 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/10/watch-a-dissertation.html An excellent idea that: broadcasting/webcasting dissertation defenses. But too much science spoils the public's eager ignorance of the real world and its processes. And whatever would we do with an educated public? Heaven forbid they ever try to vote... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 No, that was ending sentences in prepositions. Whoops, quite right. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 An excellent idea that: broadcasting/webcasting dissertation defenses. But too much science spoils the public's eager ignorance of the real world and its processes. And whatever would we do with an educated public? Heaven forbid they ever try to vote... PhD defences are usually formalities anyway. There is no real chance of failing them because you don't get to the hearing unless all the work has been completed to everyone's satisfaction. Most places don't even bother with these show trials any more at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REVS Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I suspect your supervisor knows that you have a background in writing/journalism (which you do, don't you, Aff?) and has a chip on her shoulder about this issue. Put simply, you're a better writer and she is jealous. Shouldn't a PhD supervisor be concentrating on bigger things, like your sources, your research, your logic, how the thesis holds together, etc? As for arguments, rebuttals, you're looking for polite ones, I guess. I would have thought "f*** off and leave the writing to me" would hit the spot. Maybe not... Have you tried looking up papers written by your supervisor where she has driven semi-trailers through shattered infinitives as a way of opening up a chat about your supervisor's credentials and/or motives? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 I think the original post was written at a time when I was feeling a bit despondent. There had been several emails asking for major revisions on this and that, most of them in hindsight fairly justified. It was just this final email that was titled "One more thing..." and pointed out, wrongly, the alleged split infinitive. Once get through the hearing on Friday I am going to give her a bit of an AAR though because I felt the process of putting together this documentation was poor. It was like "produce a 10,000 report" but there were no guidelines or examples readily available. So I was like this guy sitting in a museum in London in 1860 trying to draw a platypus based on a few letters from settlers in Australia. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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