leave out <span class="searchmatch">the</span> language on {{<span class="searchmatch">infl</span>}}? It seems to me that it's never supposed to happen that way, and it's an error if it is. What use would <span class="searchmatch">the</span> template...
{{<span class="searchmatch">infl</span>}}, but does anyone ever type (say) {{<span class="searchmatch">infl</span>||verb forms}}? (I wouldn't have thought so, but I wouldn't have thought anyone just typed {{<span class="searchmatch">infl</span>}},...
To display <span class="searchmatch">the</span> inflection line? Some people use '''{{PAGENAME}}''', but a simple {{<span class="searchmatch">infl</span>}} is also sometimes used. (I personally think that it's better...
<span class="searchmatch">The</span> <span class="searchmatch">first</span> <span class="searchmatch">parameter</span> could only be left blank if <span class="searchmatch">the</span> language is English, otherwise <span class="searchmatch">the</span> surrounding element wouldn't have <span class="searchmatch">the</span> lang <span class="searchmatch">parameter</span> set. {{{{{1|en}}}/script}}...
think that's better too, but I've always added <span class="searchmatch">the</span> language as well. I'm not really sure what script to use if <span class="searchmatch">the</span> language is not specified, though....
I doubt anyone would leave {1} blank but specify {2}....