"...citing media reports that it was being developed to directly confront the F-22."
This is from a column that Yahoo published today about the Pentagon "covering up the need for more fighter planes."
2007-11-09 08:12:23 · 6 answers · asked by ? 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Wow, Bee Bee! Way to take it just a little FUTHER and beat me about the head and neck with YOUR answer! Two thumbs up!
2007-11-09 10:06:09 · update #1
It could be the split infinitive. Or it could be the passive construction "was being developed."
2007-11-09 08:39:37 · answer #1 · answered by Bee Bee 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Right now the infinitive "to confront" is being split by the word directly. Try, "to confront the F-22 directly."
Grammarians debate whether the "rule" against split infinities should be applied rigidly, but a lot of people try to avoid them in formal writing.
2007-11-09 16:31:21 · answer #2 · answered by GPB 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yep, as the answerer above me points out, it's a split infinitive. My parents actually taught me about this during the intro to a Star Trek episode once ("to boldly go where no man has gone before.....").
And now that I know about split infinitives, it drives me nuts when I hear them!
2007-11-09 16:37:37 · answer #3 · answered by maddog27271 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
what is "it" the string needs a description of what is being developed
2007-11-09 16:16:43 · answer #4 · answered by twistedtexan 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I can't tell. There's no subject in the excerpt.
2007-11-09 16:17:56 · answer #5 · answered by livemoreamply 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
sometimes grammar programs pick up on "it" as a meaningless word
2007-11-09 16:16:37 · answer #6 · answered by Kim 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋