Grammar Rules That Sound Fake But Aren’t

Some grammar rules sound so bizarre that you might think someone made them up to mess with your essays. But these rules are real – even if modern usage has relaxed them over time. Let’s explore a few that feel fake but aren’t.

1. Don’t Split Infinitives… Or Do?

You’ve probably heard you shouldn’t “split infinitives,” meaning you shouldn’t place a word between “to” and its verb. For example, “to boldly go” (from Star Trek) is technically a split infinitive. Traditional grammar rules said this was a sin against the English gods. Why? Because Latin infinitives can’t be split, so old-school grammarians wanted English to follow suit. However, modern usage accepts split infinitives as natural and often clearer. Try saying “to go boldly” and see how it loses punch.

2. Never End a Sentence with a Preposition

This rule feels arbitrary because it often leads to clunky sentences. For example:

• ❌ “This is the movie about which I was telling you.”

• ✅ “This is the movie I was telling you about.”

The no-preposition-ending rule came from Latin-based prescriptivism, but modern English prioritizes clarity and natural flow. Even Winston Churchill mocked this rule, allegedly saying: “This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put.”

3. “None” is Singular

It sounds fake, but technically “none” means “not one” and should take a singular verb: “None of the cake is left.” Yet in practice, when referring to countable items, people often treat it as plural: “None of the cookies are left.” Grammatically, singular is correct, but plural has become accepted in casual use.

4. Collective Nouns are Singular… Unless They’re Not

Words like “team,” “band,” or “staff” are treated as singular in American English: “The team is winning.” But in British English, they can be plural: “The team are winning.” Both are grammatically correct depending on your dialect, but it feels fake that the same word’s verb agreement changes across oceans.

5. “Who” vs. “Whom”

Many think “whom” is an archaic relic, and it does sound overly formal today. But technically, “who” is the subject and “whom” is the object. For example:

• ✅ “Who called you?” (subject)

• ✅ “Whom did you call?” (object)

Most people use “who” for everything in conversation, so insisting on “whom” can sound pretentious, but it remains correct in formal writing.

Grammar Evolution

Grammar evolves, but these rules have roots in old traditions, Latin envy, and attempts to formalize English. Some sound fake because they don’t fit how we speak today – but knowing them helps you choose when to follow tradition or embrace modern clarity. After all, language is at its best when it serves communication, not confusion.