diff --git a/man/lvm.conf.5 b/man/lvm.conf.5
index a4c96a6b3..f11323424 100644
--- a/man/lvm.conf.5
+++ b/man/lvm.conf.5
@@ -7,7 +7,81 @@ lvm.conf \- Configuration file for LVM2
 lvm.conf is read during the initialisation phase of 
 \fBlvm\fP.
 .LP
-Syntax \(em To be written
+.SH SYNTAX
+
+The configuration file uses a simple syntax which this sections
+attempts to describe.
+
+The first thing to note is that whitespace is not significant (except
+within strings values).  This means that you can format your config
+file however you wish, eg, use whatever indentation style suits you,
+or split arrays of values across seperate lines.
+
+Comments are treated as whitespace, following the normal unix
+convention they begin with a '#' and continue to the end of the
+current line.
+
+An informal grammar follows:
+
+.IP
+\fBfile = value*\fP
+.br
+A config file consists of a set of values.
+
+.IP
+\fBvalue = section | assignment\fP
+.br
+A value can either be a new section, or an assignment.
+
+.IP
+\fBsection = identifier '{' value* '}'\fP
+.br
+A section is used to group associated values together.  It is denoted
+by a name and some delimiting curly braces.
+.br
+eg,
+.br
+backups {
+.br
+	...
+.br
+}
+.IP
+\fBassignment = identifier '=' (array | type)\fP
+.br
+An assignment is where a name and a type are associated.
+.br
+eg,
+.br
+	max_backups = 42
+.br
+.IP
+\fBarray = '[' (type ',')* type ']' | '[' ']'\fP
+.br
+Inhomogeneous arrays are supported, elements must be seperated by
+commas.  An empty array is acceptable.
+.IP
+\fBtype = integer | float | string\fP
+.br
+There are three basic types:
+.br
+.IP
+\fBinteger = [0-9]*\fP
+.br
+Integers are denoted by a series of digits.
+.IP
+\fBfloat = [0-9]*\.[0-9]*\fP
+.br
+Floating point numbers are denoted by a series of digits, a decimal
+point, and then more digits.
+.IP
+\fBstring = '"' .* '"'\fP
+.br
+Strings must be enclosed in double quotes.
+.LP
+See the example configurations at the end of this man page.
+
+.SH SECTIONS
 .LP
 The sections that may be present in the file are:
 .TP