> So there is a small lesson on grammar, and before you sit back in awe of my amazingly vast array of knowledge,
>

Believe me, Sam, I *am* sitting in awe of your grand mastery of grammatica and syntactics. I am also printing out your careful explanations for further study and future reference.


> note that I had to look up all the various "perfect" tenses and verify that my guess about "subjunctive" was correct. And I probably still bungled *something* up.
>

What particular reference texts have you found to be useful for correct grammatical form? I haven't found any sites of merit on the Internet. I have "Elements of Style" and Gower's "Plain Words," but I don't think they go into the depth of syntax that you possess.

I did find, from commentary about Ellmyruh's AP Stylebook, that the correct spellings of "grammar-Nazi" and "syntax-psycho" appear to include a hypen each. :-)


>
> I think EVERY point of grammar you learn is helpful. If you learn what a "noun" is, gosh does that ever help you formulate correct sentences! If you learn what a "conjunctive adverb" is, well, it might help you once in your life, but 99.99% of the time you use the word "if," you won't need to know its part of speech to use it correctly. In short, there's a point of diminishing returns where learning grammatical terms becomes a hobby rather than a necessity. Speaking for myself, while I don't know even close to everything about grammar, what I do know is a great benefit to me -- even the weird, obscure stuff -- because I *like* language, find an intrinsic joy in its study, and do believe that the more I know about it, the better I personally am able to write. But beyond a certain point, one's ability to write becomes increasingly more affected by one's clarity of thought, talent for expression, and vocabulary, and decreasingly affected by one's knowledge of grammar.
>
> And, Wolf, frankly, you're one of the most literate, concise, and eloquent writers among us (whether or not it's easy for you to write clearly, you may it LOOK easy, and that's as far as many professional writers get).

*HUG* Thanks, Sam. You are correct; any type of writing is not 'easy' for me at all due to the non-verbal way that I think. I'm not going write anything near worthy of the "Longest Forum Posts" list at any point in the future!


> I look up to your talent for expression. I don't think learning what "subjunctive" means is your most pressing priority for improving it. But you might find it an intrinsically fulfilling study, as I do.

I wish points on grammar would just stick in my head. I do find intrinsic joy in the study of language; still, it's more toward the linguistic side of things. Etymology, cognates, and origins of words throughout the history of languages. But facility with words pales in comparison to the most important language skill, which, as you say, is clarity of thought. I feel that I continually have a great deal to learn there.

Wolf "muddled-headed" spirit