This conversation has turned out rather interesting and amusing. Yes, Xover, I agree, neither expression violates any rules of English grammar. Which one prefers is a matter of personal instinct. I'll be interested to hear the results of any voting on whatever page you post this question on, Nishidani. Very interesting thought, too, that James might somehow have been influenced by German linguistic constructions. I know only a very little German, but enough to see what you're saying. 

 :::: Another interesting thought is that James had as refined a command of nuanced English prose as his brother. Maybe you're right; but if so he generally declined to make use of all the nuances. I think that to him, his brother's English was a bit over-nuanced. But William certainly had a solid command of the language and could express whatever he wanted to very well. Now that you've brought up William James, I can hardly wait to resume a project of mine that has fallen by the wayside, that of reading much more of James, perhaps everything. I never did get through the full two volumes of the Principles of Psychology but that wasn't for lack of interest (I don't now recall why I put it aside). James in any case has always been a favorite of mine. 

 ::::As for Jack Lindsay, that to me is the most amusing part of all this. As an American, I have only a faint notion of what all that about a guernsey is. To me that is either an island or a breed of cattle. Over the years I've read references to things like the classical Tripos and such at the Oxbridge universities, and I suppose they are some sort of honors won in highly prestigious competitions by upperclassmen, or something like that. 

 ::::I should go now, especially since I'm recovering from some kind of viral infection that has thrown me off. (And I hope you're feeling better, Xover; I recall your mentioning having the flu.) And then I want to take a look at what the current state of the SAQ page is. I did want to do a read-through again, but I have held back since it seems that it has become a bit destabilized again. Regards,