Split Infinitive: The Complete Guide (with Examples) - The Grammar Guide

This has been a source of confusion for me.  I assumed that infinitives were verbs, but that isn't correct.

English grammar seems complicated.

I have tried to avoid splitting infinitives, but sometimes you step all over yourself in the process.  In some cases, it is better to split the infinitive.

https://prowritingaid.com/split-infinitive

"Infinitives don't act as verbs. Rather, they act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

As nouns, they act as subjects of sentences or as direct objects:

To rescue Princess Aurora was Prince Philip's only goal. (subject)

A smart approach is to do a little each day. (direct object)

As adjectives, they modify nouns or pronouns:

His favorite toy to sleep with is his stuffed giraffe. (modifies toy)

As adverbs, infinitives modify verbs:

She ran to stay in shape. (modifies ran)"