"I can't write." I see and hear that a lot from the widest variety of people. They don't like it or they "can't" do it. College students are the worst. After public speaking, expository writing has got to be the most hated class. There's a simple reason why. Once something has been written down someone else comes along and puts red marks all over the page. At least that's the way it's been since we all signed up for Kindergarten. It always seems to be wrong. Our grammar that is.
            
             English grammar is, by international consensus, the worst grammar to get a handle on. It's hopelessly complicated and even more intricate. Most languages follow a tried and true formula. You put the subject of the sentence in first, then you add the object, and then you slap on the verb. You're done. Compounding is done by a nice series of "ands" or "buts." English, well, we have to do things the hard way.
            
             Part of the problem with English is that we don't really understand our own grammar. I don't know how they do things in places where English isn't around to torture people, but around here, they just don't teach grammar well. It's difficult, darn it. It's not fun either. If you had someone write up a list of mind-numbingly boring things, grammar would be in the top three. If you'd rather be sticking your pencil through your eyeballs, you're not going to pay much attention when they're throwing words like "modifiers" and "clauses" at you. What in the heck is a "dangling participle" and who cares unless it's attached to somebody's body?
            
             If grammar wasn't so important I wouldn't be bringing all of this up. People stuck with English as the language have to use it whether they like it or not. Face it, if you don't have some sort of grammar you're either completely incomprehensible or, worse, considered stupid. The key to using grammar with confidence is to understand grammar. Oh don't sink down in your chair and make gagging noises, it's not that bad, re...