Thread: to not + inf and not + to inf

Originally Posted by bitpicker

If they had called their site "How not to get hit by cars" it would have sounded a little like an explanation of "how to get hit by cars in the proper fashion", avoiding getting hit in the wrong way. Which is clearly not what they intend to teach you.

Is it a general rule regarding 'how not to...'?

Not a rule as such. The rule says "not + to + infinitive", but rules do not concern themselves with meaning. Following that rule with the specific expression used on the website may lead to the misunderstanding I quoted, which is why the colloquial, non-standard word order was used, but stylistically preferable is the "how to avoid" solution. It just isn't cool enough.

Google gives me lots of examples where people used "to + not + infinitive" and the majority sound quite awkward to me, so it's an expression best avoided.