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This is a good example of how human language is ambiguous. You should read it as in the worst case in prison and in the best case fired.
by ma2rten 6y ago
This is a good example of how human language is ambiguous. You should read it as in the worst case in prison and in the best case fired.
- throwaway894345 6y agoHah! That interpretation didn’t even occur to me, but yes that makes more sense.
- gkop 6y agoNo, we have tone and punctuation to disambiguate the two interpretations here. Parent commenter interpreted correctly. If the grandparent’s intention was otherwise, they should have used a comma.
- iso1210 6y agoIt's a good example of how ambiguity can arise when humans use (or don't use) punctuation and other features of a language that's been evolving for centuries, to communicate across an instantaneous worldwide medium with little effort
- gkop 6y agoWell said.
- caslon 6y agoThey didn't interpret it correctly, and there's no rule stating a comma is necessary that's universal in every style-guide.
- gkop 6y agoThey interpreted incorrectly per English grammar. We don’t know whether they interpreted correctly or incorrectly per the utterer’s intention, as the utterer has not clarified their intention. This isn’t a question of style, but one of grammar.
- dalbasal 6y agoPrecisely.
- Dylan16807 6y agoIt's not that simple. Commas are lawless.