Grrr....just saw this again. Drives me nuts!

One down side to my score, acceptable though it was, is that my answers were mostly based on how the sentence sounded. I'd much prefer it if I'd got the same score because I understand the rule.

 

Unless you plan to teach grammar, I'd say it's way more valuable to know grammar because you've internalized the "rules" to the point they sound right than to know the theory behind the rules. Especially for a creative writer.

If you're caught up in telling a story, I think you want your focus on creativity, not formal grammar. If you can use the "right" words just because they sound right to you, then it's unconscious and you won't be distracted by technicalities.

 

I'll go with that, @BayView. I suppose it's a little like a figure artist instinctively knowing how long the thigh needs to be, rather than knowing because they studied anatomy.

Although it's almost a given they did study anatomy... so that's my analogy down the shitter

 

Yep - all those are correct, though the -t ending is common in the UK and the -ed is pretty much always used in the US. I don't know about other English-speaking countries.