Splitting Infinitives

 

I know there's much debate as to whether or not it is acceptable to split an infinitive. Some say it's an archaic rule rooted in the fact that many languages have one-word infinitives; therefore, it is impossible to split those infinitives. There are instances where avoiding the split infinitive sounds awkward. In this situation, saying that he is paid "not to cry" would not sound awkward. For this reason, avoiding the split infinitive seems preferable.