Language Conventions

     The English language is one of the most complex and flexible languages in the world. The permutations in how a sentence can be put together are staggering, especially when compared to other languages with a more stringent grammar and syntax. In many languages that use word order to determine meaning, the word order is rigidly enforced whether it is subject, verb object (as in many romance languages) or with the verb at the end of the sentence, or linguistic variations I haven't even conceived.
      English, though, while it largely follows the pattern of the romance languages, also has flexibility to put words in nearly any order, yet still convey the same meaning, or subtle variations on that meaning. Consequently, there are very few absolute times when a sentence must be phrased in a specific way. There are certainly more effective ways, but sometimes sentences must be written for a specific effect, or to reflect specific speech patterns.
      While sometimes accents in written text can be difficult and distracting, they have always been a fascination of mine, and are topping my list of things to research. I'm hoping I can find some kind of chart that might tell the differences.