[jessaustin]

If you don't bond neutral and ground at the main, it's still bound at the transformer.

That would be a pretty good trick. The transformer is outside my house on a pole. Two wires run to it, the hot and the neutral. The "ground" doesn't leave the house. (Other wiring schemes exist, but this is standard USA residential.)

[EDIT: brainfart, see helpful correction below. still no "ground" at the pole...]

[ars]

> still no "ground" at the pole...

Yes there is. The neutral is bonded to ground, via an actual metal pole in the ground.

In your house is the same thing: The neutral (and the ground) and attached to a metal pole in the ground.

And the earth itself completes the circuit.

[jhayward]

> Two wires run to it, the hot and the neutral

Standard US residential is 240V split phase, with two hot and one neutral conductor from the transformer. So three wires, minimum. Unless you have a very old feed.

[jessaustin]

Ah, yes, well spotted. That was an oversimplification. Two hots, one neutral, zero "grounds".