The Importance of punctuation
Kid: Let's eat Grandma!!
Kid: Let's eat, Grandma
Jane claimed John made the mess
Jane, claimed John, made the mess.
A pretty tall girl
A pretty, tall girl
The year before John went away
The year before, John went away.
"John and Jane did not marry because they wanted security“
"John and Jane did not marry, because they wanted security."
(The first implies that they did marry, the second that they did not.)
Tyrone wants to send his girl friend a message that he wrote as:
"How I long for a girl who understands what true romance is all about. You are sweet and faithful. Girls who are unlike you kiss the first boy who comes along, Adorabelle. I'd like to praise your beauty forever. I can't stop thinking you are the prettiest girl alive. Thine, Tyrone."
Unfortunately, Tyrone read the message to Adorabelle's sister over the phone. She wrote it down, but had no idea how to punctuate in such a way as would capture Tyrone's meaning. Poor Adorabelle received this message:
"How I long for a girl who understands what true romance is. All about you are sweet and faithful girls who are unlike you. Kiss the first boy who comes along, Adorabelle. I'd like to praise your beauty forever. I can't. Stop thinking you are the prettiest girl alive. Thine, Tyrone."