Hey everyone! Dana here, and today we’re gonna have a little fun with English grammar.
Wait, no! Don’t go! Don't run away just because it's grammar. This is not a serious grammar video.
It's a fun video. Just believe me and stick around for it.
Punctuation: you know those tiny little things breaking up and ending sentences.
Commas, periods, hyphens.
You might think that they exist just to make English more complicated, but they do actually
serve a purpose.
And today I'm going to look at just how much power they really have to change the meaning
of a sentence or phrase.
And I’ll start with a personal example.
Back in 2015 I made a video about travel tips for people traveling for the first time.
And I called the video "First Time Travel Tips."
Seems simple enough, right?
But then I cracked up laughing when I saw a comment from AmbossTV saying that basically
he had gone to watch the video for time travel tips.
First time travel tips, I guess.
As though maybe I were starting a series.
First time travel tips, second time travel tips.
So yeah, if you’re talking about first-time travelers, it’s best to go ahead and put
a hyphen between first and time.
So that you have first-time travelers and not first time travelers.
I think this sentence could use some commas.
As it stands right now this reads: I love tutoring pigs and bananas.
Hm, interesting. I had no idea that pigs and bananas required tutoring.
With two well-placed commas however, now you’ve got: I love tutoring, pigs, and bananas.
Three separate things that you enjoy.
Another example of this same kind of thing is: I love eating dinosaurs and trains.
Somehow I doubt that there’s a restaurant catering to that here in Munich.
Um, how about: I love eating, dinosaurs, and trains. Okay, that's better.
Wow. Poor Zach!
That sounds like a really bad day.
But what I think is meant here is: She threw up, Zach.
Letting Zach know that she threw up.
Without the comma, though, it’s "She threw up Zach." A very different meaning.
Another example of this is: I need to study Grandma.
Without a comma this sentence means that you need to study Grandma.
As in, look at her intently and observe her.
With a comma, though, you’re telling Grandma that you need to study.
I need to study, Grandma.
So depending on how this sentence is punctuated, it could either be a sentence about a woman
name Sara who yelled “Holy crap!”
Or it could be about a holy, talking pile of poop that yelled "Sara!"
Either one. You never know. Could be either one.
This sentence could mean at least three different things.
Does Mike want one dark shirt that is blue and yellow?
Or does Mike want one shirt that is dark-blue and yellow?
Or does he want the dark-blue, and yellow shirt?
So he wanted two shirts.
One that is dark-blue and one that is yellow.
Come on Mike, just tell us what you want!
Sometimes when people make lists of things they don’t always put a comma between the
second to last item in the list and the and.
This comma actually has many names, one of which is the serial comma.
And some style guides advise the use of the serial comma, and some style guides advise
not to use it.
There’s actually a pretty big debate about this within the writing community.
But what’s for sure is that in this example, not using the serial comma could change the
meaning of the sentence.
With the comma, maybe you went to the zoo and while there you saw your two cousins,
a bird, and an alligator. Sounds like a lovely day.
Without the serial comma though: Yesterday I saw my two cousins, a bird and an alligator.
Without any punctuation within the sentence, this is simply a man eating sheep.
Perhaps for dinner or maybe lunch on Sunday.
But with just a tiny little hyphen between man and eating then it’s cause for alarm
because then you’ve got a man-eating sheep to deal with!
So my question for you is: what other sentences like this can you think of?
Please let me know in the comments below.
Thanks so much for watching, liking, commenting and subscribing to my channel.
I really hope that you enjoyed this video.
And I also hope that you'll enjoy the bloopers that are coming up next.
Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!
I wrote this thing about the blue and yellow shirt and even I'm confused.
It's confusing my brain, and I came up with it.
So depending on how this sentence is punctu...is punctuated, is punctuated.
Poor Zach. Yeah, that really sucks.
I'm a time traveler. Weooom!