Is there really a difference in your basic maple syrup and grade B maple syrup?!
Don't confuse either of them with plain old syrup or "pancake syrup," which is usually just maple-flavored corn syrup; no trees or boiling sap are involved in that stuff, which is why it's so much cheaper.
Answers: I'm not sure what you mean by "basic" maple syrup. In the US, there's Grade A maple and Grade B maple. Grade A is lighter and has a more delicate maple flavor. Grade B is darker and stronger, and a little cheaper, but some people like it better.
Don't confuse either of them with plain old syrup or "pancake syrup," which is usually just maple-flavored corn syrup; no trees or boiling sap are involved in that stuff, which is why it's so much cheaper.
Yes, real maple syrup is 100% maple syrup. b-grade maple syrup usually has a large amount of corn syrup and sometimes has no maple syrup at all!
Mr. Knowitall's answer is correct. To amplify his response: Grade B syrup is better for cooking in most instances because the flavor is stronger. The more delicate flavor of Grade A can be covered by the other ingredients in the recipe. Grade A syrup is used primarily as a topping for waffles, etc.