You can split an infinitive, end a sentence with a preposition, begin a sentence with and or but, use the passive voice, and use they for one person. All five are established choices in English. The best choice depends on what you want the reader to notice, how formal the writing needs to sound, and any style guidance you’ve been asked to follow.
Five grammar myths at a glance
| The advice you may have heard | What works in English |
|---|---|
| Never split an infinitive. | We hope to nearly double attendance. Nearly tells readers how much attendance might increase. |
| Never end with a preposition. | Which exhibit did you write about? The final about belongs with which exhibit. |
| Always avoid the passive voice. | Two prints were damaged in transit. The passive keeps attention on the prints and what happened to them. |
| Use they only for more than one person. | If a visitor asks for a map, offer them one. Them can refer to one visitor. |
| Never start a sentence with and or but. | The exhibit is small. But the photographs are enormous. But links the second sentence to the first. |
1. Can you split an infinitive?
Yes. A split infinitive has a word or phrase between to and the base form of the verb, as in to nearly double. Put the modifier where it gives readers the meaning you intend.
- We hope to nearly double attendance. We hope attendance will reach almost twice its current level.
- We nearly hoped to double attendance. This suggests we came close to hoping for something, an unlikely meaning here.
You can also write We hope attendance will almost double. Choose the version that fits your sentence and keeps nearly or almost close to the amount of change. More on split infinitives and modifier placement · MLA Style Center on splitting infinitives
2. Can you end a sentence with a preposition?
Yes. In questions and relative clauses, English often leaves a preposition where the reader expects to hear it. Which exhibit did you write about? is a natural way to ask what the writer covered. A more formal version is About which exhibit did you write?
The same choice can occur in a statement. Compare That’s the guide I referred to with That’s the guide to which I referred. Read both aloud and pick the version that suits the context. More on ending sentences with prepositions · Cambridge on prepositions in questions
3. Is the passive voice always a problem?
The passive voice is useful when the sentence should focus on what happened to someone or something. It also lets you report an event when you don’t know who did it. The active voice usually makes it easier to say who acted.
- The installer moved the photographs to the west gallery. The active sentence starts with the person who did the work.
- The photographs were moved to the west gallery. The passive sentence starts with the photographs, which may already be the topic of the paragraph.
If readers need to know who moved the photographs, name the installer. You can keep the photographs first by adding by the installer, or make the installer the subject. More on active and passive voice · APA Style on choosing a voice
4. Can they refer to one person?
Yes. Use singular they when a person’s gender is unknown or irrelevant, or when referring to someone who uses they as a pronoun. The usual verb forms with they still apply, including they are and they have.
- If a photographer is delayed, ask whether they are still coming. The sentence applies to any one photographer who is running late.
- Alex said they have an extra copy of the program. Here they refers to Alex, who uses that pronoun.
When they might refer to more than one person or group in the same sentence, repeat a name or role to make the reference clear. APA Style on singular they
5. Can you start a sentence with and or but?
Yes. A coordinating conjunction such as and or but can link a sentence to the one before it. A new sentence can give the addition or contrast a little extra weight.
- We planned to open on Friday, but the gallery lost power. The contrast fits inside one sentence.
- We planned to open on Friday. But the gallery lost power. The period gives the setback its own beat.
After and or but, check that you’ve written a complete clause if you need a full sentence. But the gallery lost power has a subject and a verb that make a complete statement. But only after midnight works as a deliberate fragment in a voice that calls for one. MLA Style Center on starting with a conjunction
Where do these grammar myths come from?
Usage advice has a history. In 1672, John Dryden criticized a final preposition in Ben Jonson’s writing. By the nineteenth century, published usage advice was also objecting to split infinitives. The familiar Latin explanation for the split-infinitive ban is disputed. A historical study of early objections traces them to ideas about English’s relationship to German. Leiden University research on final prepositions · Historical study of the split-infinitive ban
Advice also travels through classrooms and workplaces. A teacher may encourage beginners to combine closely related sentences, and an editor may ask for more active verbs to make responsibilities clear. A shortcut that serves one lesson or document can sound like a universal ban when it gets repeated without the original reason.
How to check a grammar rule before you edit
- Check the meaning. Read both versions. Look for a shift in who did what, what a modifier describes, or which idea gets emphasis.
- Check the setting. A project update, a conversation, and a legal notice can call for different wording.
- Check the guidance you’re working under. A current usage reference can explain whether a construction is accepted. Your instructor, publisher, or organization can set a preferred style for a particular document.
Style recommendations can change as editors revisit established usage. If you’re deciding which guide applies to a project, see our comparison of major grammar and style guides.
Practice deciding what to keep or revise
- You want attendance to reach nearly twice its current level. Would you keep We aim to nearly double attendance?
- For a casual staff message, would you revise Which gallery did you leave the posters in? solely because it ends with in?
- The insurer needs the name of the person who signed for a damaged crate. How could you revise The crate was signed for at 10 a.m. if Rae signed for it?
- Choose a verb for If a visitor calls, check whether they [is / are] asking about tickets.
- Is But the frames arrived on time a complete sentence when it follows The prints were late?
Show the five answers
- Keep it. Placing nearly before double makes the amount of the increase clear.
- Keep it. The final in makes for a natural question in a casual message.
- Name Rae. Rae signed for the crate at 10 a.m. puts the information the insurer needs first.
- Are. The pronoun they takes are here even though it refers to one visitor.
- Yes. The frames arrived on time is an independent clause. Initial but connects that idea to the previous sentence.
Keep exploring English usage
When advice comes down to always or never, try the sentence both ways and identify the effect of the change. For more practice with choices that affect sentence structure, see relative clauses and English punctuation rules.
