Anyone familiar with "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss understands how important one little comma can be.
The story goes like this: a panda walks into a café, eats a sandwich, fires two shots into the air and runs out the door.
kAmQ(9JnQ 2D<D E96 4@?7FD65 H2:E6C] %96? 96 D66D E92E 2 3@@< 92D 366? =67E @A6? @? E96 E23=6[ Q!2?52] {2C86 3=24<\2?5\H9:E6 362C\=:<6 >2>>2=[ ?2E:G6 E@ r9:?2] t2ED[ D9@@ED 2?5 =62G6D]Qk^Am
kAm(6==[ 2?JH2J[ @FC H66<6?5 925 ?@ 4@>>2D :? :E 2D H6 CFD965 7C@> @?6 DA=6?5:5 24E:G:EJ E@ 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm{6EVD DE2CE H:E9 @A6C2] p?J@?6 =F4<J 6?@F89 E@ 92G6 >256 :E E@ E96 ~JDE6CG:==6 r9FC49 $2EFC52J 62C=J 6G6?:?8 E@ 962C y@J46 !2CCJ |@@C6[ tDAJ #6D:56?E 2CE:DE[ 5@6D ?@E ?665 E@ 36 E@=5 9@H 6=64EC:7J:?8 96C A6C7@C>2?46 H2D]k^Am
kAmw6C 7:CDE D@?8[ Q(96? *@F (2=< %9C@F89 E96 $E@C>[Q 925 >2?J 2F5:6?46 >6>36CD :? E62CD 7C@> E96 368:??:?8] |@@C6 D2?8 E9:D >@G:?8 D@?8 @?46[ 2D D96 C6>6>36C65 D:?8:?8 :E :? 9:89 D49@@=[ 2?5 E96? 2 D64@?5 E:>6[ >@C6 EC:F>A92?E=J[ 2D D96 925 DF?8 :E 2D 2 H@>2? @7 b_] q@E9 C6?5:E:@?D \ DE2CE=:?8=J 5:776C6?E \ H6C6 >28?:7:46?E]k^Am
kAm%96? |@@C6 AFE @? 2 D:>A=6 G:@=6E <:>@?@ @G6C 96C A2=6\8C66? 7=@@C\=6?8E9 5C6DD 2?5 3642>6 !F44:?:VD |252>6 qFEE6C7=J[ E92E `hE9 46?EFCJ y2A2?6D6 4@FCE6D2? H9@D6 962CE :D 4CFD965 3J 36EC2J2=] %96 =2DE E9C66 ?@E6D @7 E96 72>@FD 2C:2 DF?8 3J r:@\4:@\$2? D6?E 7=2>6D FA @FC DA:?6D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 4C@H5 72G@C:E6 H2D 2 D6=64E:@? 7C@> r@D: u2? %FEE6 W(@>6? pC6 {:<6 %92EX 3J (@=782?8 p>256FD |@K2CE]k^Am
kAm|@@C6 D6E E96 D46?6 7@C E9@D6 @7 FD H9@ 2C6?VE C68F=2C @A6C2\8@6CD 2?5 7@F?5 96CD6=7 EH@ @7 @FC G6CJ @H? ~A6C2 w2>D] |:4926= r2>A6==@?6 2?5 v6@C86 u@I A=2J65 u6CC2?5@ 2?5 vF8=:6=>@[ D@=5:6CD 4@>6 324< :? 5:D8F:D6 E@ H@@ E96 @E96CVD 7:2?4é6 :? @C56C E@ H:? 2 H286C]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 76?5:?8 @77 E96 9JDE6C:42= 2?5 :>AC@G:D65 25G2?46D @7 r2>A6==@?6 2?5 u@I @? 2?5 2>@?8 E96 49FC49 A6HD[ |@@C6 56=:G6C65 E96 A:E49\A6C764E 2C:2 r@>6 D4@8=:@ W{:<6 2 #@4<X] $96 492D65 r2>A6==@?6 2?5 u@I 2C@F?5 E96 492A6=[ ?6G6C >:DD:?8 2 9:89 ?@E6] q2C32C2 q2E6[ 82DA:?8 7@C 3C62E9 2E E96 A:2?@[ DFAA@CE65 96C 6G6CJ DE6A @7 E96 H2J]k^Am
kAm(92E 2 A=62DFC6 :E H2D E@ 962C |@@C6VD 4=62C[ D@F=7F= D@AC2?@ 2?5 =@@< 369:?5 96C E9C@F89 E96 49FC49 H:?5@HD E@ E96 >2CG6=@FD 5FD<J\8@=5 =:89E 72==:?8 E9C@F89 E96 2=56CD]k^Am
kAm(6 962C E92E y@J46 :D 2 D6>:?2CJ DEF56?E 2?5 2 7@C>:523=6 CF??6C H:E9 2 8C62E D6?D6 @7 5:D4:A=:?6] $96 H6?E @FE 7@C =@?8 CF?D 2=>@DE 6G6CJ 52J @7 96C C6D:56?4J[ A2CE:4:A2E65 :? E96 q6249 E@ r9@H56C CF?[ 2?5 EC2:?65 7@C 3@E9 6?5FC2?46 2?5 DA665[ @? D6A2C2E6 52JD] (92E 2 82=Pk^Am
kAm%92?< J@F[ tDAJ u@F?52E:@?[ 7@C E9:D H@?56C7F= G:D:E2E:@?]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C E96 W4@>>2X 92>D[ uC2?< (@=76 C6A@CED E92E A6?:?DF=2 92>D 925 2 G6CJ DF446DD7F= 7:6=5 52J 2E !@CE @7 !6?:?DF=2 2?5 |@@C69625 !2C< 7C@> `` 2]>] $2EFC52J F?E:= `` 2]>] $F?52J]k^Am
kAmx 962C5 E6== E92E uC2?< 925 BF:E6 2 DEF33=6 3J E96 6?5 3FE H2D E9C:==65 2E E96 ?F>36C 2?5 C2?86 @7 4@?E24ED E92E H6C6 >256 E9C@F89@FE E96 ac\9@FC A6C:@5] %9:D :D 2? 2??F2= 4@>A6E:E:@? 36EH66? C68:@?2= 92> E62>D] (6V== =6E J@F <?@H H96? q@3 r=:?6 W}fr'(X[ u:6=5 s2J r92:C[ 86ED E96 4@>A6E:E:@? C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAm(@=76 HC:E6D[ Q*6D[ H6 925 2 C62==J 6I4:E:?8 w2> #25:@ u:6=5 s2J] (6 925 E9C66 DE2E:@?Di E96 |@CD6 r@56 Wr(X DE2E:@?[ E96 '@:46 DE2E:@? 2?5 E96 v~%p Wv6E ~? %96 p:CX DE2E:@?[ 56D:8?65 DA64:7:42==J 7@C ?6H 92>D 2?5 F?=:46?D65 >6>36CD @7 E96 AF3=:4] x? 724E[ @=5 D2=ED =:<6 >6 42?VE 6G6? FD6 E9:D DE2E:@?] (6 42? @?=J 24E 2D 4@2496D 7@C E96 @E96CD]Qk^Am
kAmQ(6 2=D@ FD65 @FC p>2E6FC #25:@ D2E6==:E6D H9:49 24E 2D C6=2J DE2E:@?D] %96D6 D2E6==:E6D 2C6 :? {@H t2CE9 ~C3:E 2?5 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J >@G:?8 7C@> @FC A6CDA64E:G6 96C6 @? E96 8C@F?5] (96? @?6 A2DD6D 5:C64E=J @G6C9625[ :E >:89E 36 23@G6 E96 9@C:K@? 2?5 FD23=6 7@C @?=J a_ >:?FE6D] p D:>A=6 4@>AFE6C AC@8C2> E6==D FD 6I24E=J H96C6 2?5 H96? E96 D2E6==:E6D H:== 36 2G2:=23=6 7C@> 2?J A@:?E @? E96 t2CE9]k^Am
kAmQ&D:?8 @FC D2E6==:E6D[ H6 962C5 92>D :? r2=:7@C?:2[ %6I2D 2?5 @E96C A=246D] p>2E6FC #25:@ :D 2== 23@FE EH@\H2J 4@>>F?:42E:@?[ =625:?8 E@ ?6H 7C:6?5D9:AD 2?5 ?6H 24E:G:E:6D]Qk^Am
kAm{2DE 3FE ?@E =62DE H2D E96 2>2K:?8 v2C56? %@FC 7F?5C2:D6C 7@C E96 (2E6C |FD:4 u6DE:G2=] (6 :?E6?565 E@ A@A :?E@ 6G6CJ 82C56? @? E96 >2A 3FE E96C6 H2D E@ 36 ?@ VA@AA:?8]Vk^Am
kAm~FC 7:CDE DE@A H2D E96 6=682?E[ C6DEC2:?65 2?5 362FE:7F= >F=E:A=6\=6G6= 82C56? @7 |2CE92 {66 :? z=:AD2?] uC@> E96 3=@@>:?8 3=F6 42E >:?E DH2C>:?8 H:E9 9@?6J 366D E@ E96 AFCA=6 82C56? EF4<65 369:?5 E96 324< 4@C?6C @7 E96 9@FD6[ H6 6?;@J65 6G6CJ :?49 @7 96C A2=2E:2= 82C56?D]k^Am
kAmp? 2?E:BF6 42??@? 32== 9@=56C 7C@> 2 D9:A H2D 252AE65 A6C764E=J E@ 9@=5:?8 =2C86 4=2J A@ED H:E9 96C3D :? E96 <:E496? 82C56?] p?5 E96 42CC@ED 92G6 2 G:6H 2== E96 H2J E@ E96 @462?Pk^Am
kAmp7E6C H2=<:?8 E96 8C@F?5D[ H6 ?@H 92G6 2 ?6H =@G6 \ s2G:5 pFDE:? t?8=:D9 #@D6D] p=D@ DEF??:?8 H2D E96 9J3C:5 CF8@D2 q=2?4 5@F3=6 56 r@F36CE W2 5@F3=6 H9:E6X[ 7C28C2?E 2?5 DA64E24F=2C 282:?DE E96 H62E96C65 32=FDEC256 2C@F?5 96C 7C@?E =2?2:]k^Am
kAmuC@> |2CE92VD[ H6 DE@AA65 3J {J?? 2?5 |:<6 s:4<6CD@?VD 6IA2?D:G6 6DE2E6] s:4<6CD@? D2JD 4966C7F==J[ QxV> ECJ:?8 E@ 86E :E 5@H? 7C@> EH@ 9@FCD E@ @?6 2?5 2 92=7 @7 >@H:?8]Qk^Am
kAmtG6CJE9:?8 H2D A:4EFC6 A6C764Ej 6G6CJ 362?A@=6 :? A=246[ 6G6CJ E@>2E@ DE2<65 @? E96 D@FE9 D:56 2?5 32D<:?8 :? E96 DF?] %96 q=@@5J |2CJD H6C6 2 ?:46 255:E:@? E@@]k^Am
kAmw@FCD =2E6C H6 962565 7@C x=H24@ 2?5 6?E6C65 :?E@ 2? F36C\A=2?6E2CJ @2D:D 42==65 %2?8=6 r@EE286[ $<J=6C (2=<6C 2?5 p==2? uC:EKVD 8?@>:D9 t56?] %62 4FAD 25@C?65 4FC=J H:==@H] "F@E6D H6C6 4=@E96D\A:??65 2=@?8 E96 A2E9H2JD] p D>2== H2E6C H966= @7 E:?J 4=2J A@ED 8C2465 E96 A2E:@ @7 2? 232?5@?65 D:?8=6\H:56[ E96 7:CDE DECF4EFC6 @? E96 AC@A6CEJ]k^Am
kAmtG6CJH96C6 H6 =@@<65 E96C6 H2D 2 72D4:?2E:?8 A=2?E H6 925 ?6G6C D66? 367@C6 2?5 $<J=6C H@F=5 2AA62C[ 2D :7 7C@> ?@H96C6[ E@ 8:G6 FD E96 ?2>6 @7 :E]k^Am
kAm$EC2E68:42==J A=2465 96C6 2?5 E96C6 H6C6 82C56?:?8 C676C6?46 3@@<D[ :? 42D6 2?J@?6 H2?E65 E@ =@@< 2E A:4EFC6D :?DE625 @7 E96 C62= E9:?8] }@ H2JPk^Am
kAmQ%96 >2:? AFCA@D6 @7 2 82C56? :D E@ 8:G6 :ED @H?6C E96 36DE 2?5 9:896DE <:?5 @7 62CE9=J A=62DFC6[Q HC@E6 v6CECF56 y6<J==[ :?7=F6?E:2= qC:E:D9 82C56? 56D:8?6C[ HC:E6C[ 2?5 2CE:DE]k^Am
kAm(6 4@F=5?VE 92G6 28C665 >@C6]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.