"Je finis mon assiette pour ne rien gaspiller."

Translation: I'm finishing my plate in order to not waste anything.

[Lesley545799]

I refuse to split this infinitive! The correct answer should be... 'in order not to waste anything'. This was rejected in favour of 'to not waste anything', which sounds very clumsy to me.

[TimmyKilminster]

Not only is your version correct according to traditional grammar, it conveys the meaning more clearly. "To not waste anything" is bizarre.

[aaaaadammmmm]

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's incorrect to split the infinitive, but your answer should still be accepted.

[utterabandon]

English language learners using this site may find this article useful: https://theweek.com/articles/467053/7-bogus-grammar-errors-dont-need-worry-about.

[MrsMagicWand]

But only if they will take English language advice from an American!

[utterabandon]

Seriously though, for any English language student who is particularly concerned with the nationality of their preferred source of advice and who also has the modicum of energy required for a quick search of the web, you will find plenty of voices in other English dialects advising the same as the article linked above.

Personally, I found that the brief bit linked following pretty much sums it up: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/ignore-the-good-grammar-crowd-and-your-prose-will-be-better-for-it.

One of the main points of all this being that you will find many, many language professionals and teachers have made the conscious choice to leave aside useless and wrong rules, and all future students should have that same choice.

[MrsMagicWand]

Unsplit infinitive now accepted. Thanks to everyone who reported.

[LesAussi]

Clumsy English!

[BogMom]

Cleaning one's plate is idiomatic in English to mean eating everything on the plate. Duo should accept this.

[MrsMagicWand]

Or clearing one's plate. No one would say finishing one's plate - although one might say finishing one's meal.

[TimmyKilminster]

"To not waste anything".

Duo, why do you hate English so much?

[champguy]

"not to waste anything" accepted 26 November 2020

[H.E.P.]

Correct answer not accepted, possibly, on reflection, because I might have put 'not to' instead of 'to not' which is bad English, but I did flag it as 'My answer should be accepted'.

[Qiset1]

This one guy is so difficult to understand. I suppose if I can understand him, I'll be able to understand most everyone.

[--Roody--]

This is,funny. In English you dont let the adverbs split the infinitive, while in French you dont let the infinitive split the adverbs!

(I know the split infinitive "rule" is a hoax, but it's still pretty funny. :))