Date:         Wed, 16 Apr 1997 11:42:23 EDT
From: Will a real person stand up? <mbarker@MIT.EDU>
Subject:      FILLER: Garden Path Sentences

Something to help make the brain roll over in the bony confines...

There is a class of sentences called "garden path" sentences because
when read, a person tends to group the words one way and then suddenly
have to go back, regroup, and reread to get the correct meaning.

Try constructing some of these:

The horse raced past the barn fell.

[did you read this "the horse raced past the barn..." what?  another
word?  a verb?  back up, oh!  "the horse, raced past the barn, fell"]

Try this one...

The cotton clothes are made of grows in Mississippi.

If you don't get these, try reading them out loud.  Show them to a few
friends.  See who admits they got part way through the sentence, got
stuck, and had to start over again.

[mind the notochord and other complications when spinning your own
brain!  remember, this brain is driven by an expert on a closed
course.  do not try this with your own brain on a public road...:]

tink