Grammar: Shit That You Shouldn't Oughta Sweat (i.e. the small stuff)

Lest any of you think that I am a grammar Nazi, here are a few grammar rules that, assuming that you even care about clear communication in your writing) you can safely stop worrying about. (Please remember that the "i.e." in the title is pronounced "that is" if you are reading this aloud, which your probably aren't)

Split Infinitives
An infinitive is, in English, the form of a verb that begins with "to", e.g. the infinitive of the verb "run" is "to run". The rules say that you shouldn't "split" an infinitive, adding a modifier is the way it's usually done. "To quickly run". Why is this a rule? It's hard to say, but sticking to it certainly does nothing to guarantee clarity, in fact it often clouds meaning, or at best makes you sound awkward. In Spanish the infinitive is helpfully indicated by the additional of "-ar", "-er" or "-ir" at the end of the verb, making splitting infinitives difficult. One of the most famous examples of a split infinitive in popular culture is "to boldly go" from Star Trek. It would be more correct, but likely more awkward to have proclaimed "to go boldly...". You decide, but try to obey this rule all the time and you'll see what I mean.

Ending Sentences With a Preposition
Prepositions are parts of speech that relate one word to enough, e.g. "to", "in", "after", "before". The rule is that a sentence should never end in a preposition. Why is this a rule? Because grammarians in the 17th century, educated in Latin, opined that since you didn't end sentences with prepositions in Latin, you shouldn't do it in English. This is another instance where following the rules tends to make for awkward sentences. "The pitcher glared at the spot on the outfield wall that the batter aimed at" becomes "The pitcher glared at the spot on the outfield wall at which the batter aimed"; or "Who should I give the payment to?" becomes "To whom should I give the payment?". Insisting on this rule can make your sentences more formal, but too much formality results in stilted language. Don't worry about this one either.

There are more, but that's all that you're going to get today!