'correct' english

From an article on grammar myths:

Those examples make it clear that a split infinitive is sometimes not only permissible, but necessary. While the notion that split infinitives are wrong has wide currency, another language myth seems perpetuated chiefly by the journalistic community. That's the odd and insupportable practice of unsplitting perfectly clear and natural split compound verbs (should probably go, will never be). Like the split infinitive, the split verb phrase is not an error. Good writers and speakers split them all the time.

Well, duh. Split infinitives and split verb phrases have a long, proud history in the English language, as do most other grammatical constructions that one group or another perceives as erroneous.

"Correct English" is a myth; what matters is the standard you adhere to. I'm a journalist, so for my writing the last word on good grammar is the Associated Press stylebook, even when I think they're dead wrong (as I do with split infinitves, split verb phrases and leaving out end series commas).

The truly bizarre grammar rule everyone "knows" is one that's not found in any style book I know -- not the MLA, not the AP, not the Chicago Manual of Style, not even one stinking grammar textbook. And that rule is: "Never end a sentence with a preposition."

That rule is actually a grammatical rule for Latin, not English. It's never been observed in English, was never established as a rule in English, and is the cause of more awkward grammatical constructions than the "no split verb phrases" rule I think the Associated Press should drop.