Where should TO be placed?

English translation: first option

10:11 Feb 3, 2012
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law: Contract(s)
English term or phrase: Where should TO be placed?
Option 1:

1. ... shall have the right to:
1.1. Do ...
1.2. Make ...
1.3. Do ...
...

Option 2:

1. ... shall have the right:
1.1. To do ...
1.2. To make ...
1.3. To do ...
...

Thanks!
Igor Kreknin
Local time: 18:24
Selected answer:first option
Explanation:
I do not think there is a right and wrong here, but I always prefer to avoid unnecessary repetition.
Selected response from:

Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 17:24
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +12first option
Mark Nathan
5 +1Either - but...
Paul Lambert


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +12
where should to be placed?
first option


Explanation:
I do not think there is a right and wrong here, but I always prefer to avoid unnecessary repetition.

Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 17:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tatjana Momirović
1 min

agree  Paul Lambert: A fair argument
2 mins
  -> Thanks

agree  Inge Luus: Definitely - 'to' at the beginning of each point is very tedious to read in my opinion :).
2 mins
  -> absolutely, although I can imagine politicians repeating it as a rhetorical device for emphasis "TO reduce taxes, TO spend more on education etc."

agree  Donna Stevens
18 mins

agree  Jack Doughty
47 mins

agree  Mark Robertson
54 mins

agree  eski
5 hrs

agree  Alexandra Taggart: That is not just conventional English, adding "to" in front of each verb makes it a list of infinitives.
10 hrs
  -> as opposed to what?

agree  Phong Le
23 hrs

agree  Charlesp
1 day 10 hrs

agree  Christine Andersen: I agree if this text is primarily for reading on paper: the repetition is tedious. If spoken aloud to an audience who cannot see the text, the second ´politician´option might be useful as a sort of audible punctuation mark.
3 days 8 mins

agree  Suzan Hamer: And with Christine.
3 days 13 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
where should to be placed?
Either - but...


Explanation:
It is largely a matter of preference; however, if you go for option 1, make sure that you do not end up splitting any infinitives as you go down the list. That is to say, the first word on each item needs to be the verb in the infinitive.

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Note added at 1 hr (2012-02-03 11:31:21 GMT)
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I see. Now it is suddenly all personal. Another sign of our modern age.

So you disagree that either formulation proposed by Igor is correct because you want to argue. I don't know how helpful that is to Igor.

His options are either correct or incorrect. It is not about me.

Paul Lambert
Sweden
Local time: 17:24
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Cilian O'Tuama: "However, most modern English usage guides have dropped the objection to the split infinitive." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_infinitive // Says who? Now gotta change to "disagree". /// not personal, I just disagree with your advice
12 mins
  -> Yes, I know. Such guides are wrong.

neutral  Jim Tucker (X): w/ Cilian; even Fowler calls this a "superstition". Dr. Johnson did it.
23 mins
  -> If your clients are willing to pay you for split infinitives go right ahead.

neutral  B D Finch: I support Cilian's or anyone else's right to use split infinitives. However, they should be used deliberately, with care and for effect. In this sort of list of infinitives, splitting them would be confusing and, therefore, bad style.
12 hrs
  -> I thought you would - and yes, I agree with your evaluation of such use in this particular case. (And I should not have overreacted this morning)

agree  Mónica Alvarez
1 day 14 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Christine Andersen: I agree - in a list like this it is important to make sure that all the points still make sense as sentences, whether they involve split infinitives or other points of grammar. I avoid split infinitives when they sound wrong - they are not obligatory ;-)
3 days 2 mins
  -> Thank you
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