Brus,

I think you mistook me for being part of your and Warsaw Will's argument. I was just commenting on the question. What I had stated, adding still, was in response to "once was Prime Minister". So I thought 'still' would belong there.

"If I were still the Prime Minister, I'd lower taxes."

I took it as he currently isn't the Prime Minister, and that if he were, he'd lower taxes.

I'd simply add the word still:

"If I were still the Prime Minister, ..."

Warsaw Will,

I apologize for acting a little contentious and acerbic. I completely agree that in speech rules like who/whom don't matter. And I wouldn't say "It is me" and "He is bigger than me" are wrong at all. I however feel that we should at least keep whom alive in writing, and if someone wants to adhere to the ellipsis in "He is bigger than I (am)" and the subjective complement "It is I", fine.

I do know that Anglo-Saxon/Old English was inflectional and that the pronouns are the only thing that remains.

I know this is a 'dead thread', but I believe the problem lies with the subject and object. The current subject: "language rules set in stone" has an adjective and participial phrase, making rules the subject and requiring are as the verb. The object: "one of them" conflicts with the subject-verb agreement. It would be easier to flip the object and subject: "and one of them is language rules set in stone".

"J. K Rowling always wanted to be an author." ~ (Simple Past) A simple statement about her want before current time. We could also read into it and think she is now an author.

"J. K Rowling had always wanted to be an author." ~ (Past Perfect) Meaning she wanted to be an author but now doesn't want to be one.

The simple past is used for things that happened in the past. The past perfect is usually used with a reference point. It isn't often used to refer things into the past. History books are written with the simple past not the past perfect.

"J. K Rowling has always wanted to be an author." ~ (Present Perfect) Meaning she has always wanted and still wants to be an author.

Porsche, are you perhaps British because I've seen British authors use the semicolon before but and the comma after it?

I use ensure and I'm an American. And I like the sound of fiat; however, I haven't had the pleasure of using it too much. Also, if you had looked at Warsaw Will's link and scroll down, you would have found that nouns act "pre-head modifiers". Although not an adjective, they fall in the category adjectives (and adverbs, amongst others) are in. May I ask what's the British peculiarity of "boot"?

D. A. Wood,

"I also proudly write American English, and "thusly" is quite a useful word here. If you don't like it, don't complain about it."

Look hypocrisy! He says don't complain about it when he made two pages about complaining: the one we're on and the "Molotov Cocktails".

As for analytical, how dare you, you arrogant son of a bitch. You know they make a million of you in book stores: they're called encyclopedias. If I wanted one, I'd go out and buy one. I'm sure I wouldn't have to listen to or deal with an absolute prick then.

"If you are unwilling to learn anything about precise, step-by-step reasoning, then just skip over it and don't read about it."

Take a page out of your book? No thanks. You ignore everything that might jeopardize your intellect.

You also fail to see the point completely. This is forum about English and discussion about English. And you just litter your posts with useless, unneeded facts. And like I, and everyone else, have said you don't even acknowledge the information, facts, and quotes we've given to you. You just dismiss them.

You've been lumbering around like a buffoon for too long.

I also commend Warsaw Will, Jeremy Wheeler, and Les R for being able to tolerate you more than I can.

D. A. Wood,

You're not being specific nor are you being germane. I feel that you just like to hear yourself ramble on and on and on and on until you've droned out anyone who thinks dissimilarly to you. When I had said nouns could be used as adjectives, I made no inclination that we should abandon adjectives for nouns.

I haven't responded on this page in awhile because I, to put it simply, was bored with your constant idiocy and contentious behavior but have kept tabs on this page, and honestly, you never stay cogent or germane to the subject. You avoid any direct references and answer where it suits you. And you are also using a form of the slippery slope fallacy with "lazy writers".

Jeremy Wheeler is right in that you go off spouting random facts that serves no other purpose than to pander and pamper your ego.

And thus is already an adverb so adding the "-ly" ending shows how stupid you really are.

Like is a preposition, and by that logic, the pronoun should be in the objective case ("me") not the subjective case ("I").