The importance of punctuation

JackyB

John had had had where James had had had had had had had had the teachers approval

John had had "had", where James had had "had had". "Had had" had had the teacher's approval.

I remember that from school!

⭐️⭐️

John had used the perfect tense of the verb to have, where James had used the pluperfect tense of the same verb. The pluperfect tense was accorded the teacher’s approval.

JackyB

John had had had where James had had had had had had had had the teachers approval

John had had "had", where James had had "had had". "Had had" had had the teacher's approval.

Correct ⭐️

John had had had where James had had had had had had had had the teachers approval

John had had "had", where James had had "had had". "Had had" had had the teacher's approval.

It makes you wonder how we understand each other in spoken English, doesn't it, with no punctuation whatsoever!

Yes, intonation and word stress can make all the difference, but equally often they don't, as in absent's example.

Those things over there are my husbands.
Those things over there are my husband's.

Jaxie

“ punc” is Latin for point.

Thank you Jaxie, most illuminating. You may have seen that I was wondering about the etymology of it.
(But was to lazy to do anything about it)

“ punc” is Latin for point.

The TV advert for a laundry product always gets me. At the very end, we are instructed to "Always keep away from children".

I don't want to keep away from all children - I quite like to give my dgc a hug now and then! 😁

Or the confusing poster near school.
“Stopping here could endanger a child!”

Is it just me who thinks that not stopping might be even more dangerous?

Thanks for the laughs. I'm always amused at these traffic instructions: Slow traffic crossing. Slow plant moving.

Mollygo

Or even
King Charles walked and talked half an hour after his head was cut off.

That took me a minute to work out 😀

Wish I could find the birthday card once sent by a fellow-pedant sister:

Woman introducing one man to another, ‘You’ll like Simon - he’s an unsufferable pedant, too.’

Danger, men at work.

Ilikeflowers

Oh I'm with you on this one. My grammar is far from perfect, but separating up a sentence with commas, then ending them with a full stop is basic taught English, ins't it??? I always read and edit my FB, WhatsApp and emails before I send them.

😅

Or even
King Charles walked and talked half an hour after his head was cut off.

John had had had where James had had had had had had had had the teachers approval

Can anyone who hasn't seen it before punctuate the above so that it makes sense?

Whoops - I've done one myself now. Obviously the writer was not age-old. The story is.

welbeck

seen daubed on a warehouse wall in 1970s London:
Ireland for the Irish !

underneath had been added later:
and Peckham for the peckish !

This reminds me of the age-old graffiti artist who wrote under the sign to "Felixstowe for the Continent" ....

wait for it


...."And Frinton for the Incontinent"

What is this thing called love?
What is THIS thing called, love?
What is this THING called, love?

sign seen in church hall kitchen:

after rinsing milk bottles
will ladies please stand upside down in sink.

seen daubed on a warehouse wall in 1970s London:
Ireland for the Irish !

underneath had been added later:
and Peckham for the peckish !

Owing to the weather there was no body at the funeral
Owing to the weather there was nobody at the funeral

Oh I'm with you on this one. My grammar is far from perfect, but separating up a sentence with commas, then ending them with a full stop is basic taught English, ins't it??? I always read and edit my FB, WhatsApp and emails before I send them.