*The Beauty and Complexity of English Language*

This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:48 am
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:630
*The Beauty and Complexity of English Language*

Professor Ernest Brennecke of Columbia is credited with inventing a sentence that can be made to have eight different meanings by placing ONE WORD in all possible positions in the sentence: "I hit him in the eye yesterday."

The word is "ONLY".

The Message:
1. ONLY I hit him in the eye yesterday. (No one else did)
2. I ONLY hit him in the eye yesterday. (Did not slap him)
3. I hit ONLY him in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit others)
4. I hit him ONLY in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit outside the eye)
5. I hit him in ONLY the eye yesterday. (Not other organs)
6. I hit him in the ONLY eye yesterday. (He doesn't have another eye)
7. I hit him in the eye ONLY yesterday. (Not today)
8. I hit him in the eye yesterday ONLY. (Did not wait for today)

This is the beauty and complexity of the English language.
Source: — Sentence Correction |

Legendary Member
Posts: 2789
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:19 am
Location: Chennai, India
Thanked: 206 times
Followed by:43 members
GMAT Score:640

by GmatKiss » Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:57 pm
Tarun Khanna wrote:*The Beauty and Complexity of English Language*

Professor Ernest Brennecke of Columbia is credited with inventing a sentence that can be made to have eight different meanings by placing ONE WORD in all possible positions in the sentence: "I hit him in the eye yesterday."

The word is "ONLY".

The Message:
1. ONLY I hit him in the eye yesterday. (No one else did)
2. I ONLY hit him in the eye yesterday. (Did not slap him)
3. I hit ONLY him in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit others)
4. I hit him ONLY in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit outside the eye)
5. I hit him in ONLY the eye yesterday. (Not other organs)
6. I hit him in the ONLY eye yesterday. (He doesn't have another eye)
7. I hit him in the eye ONLY yesterday. (Not today)
8. I hit him in the eye yesterday ONLY. (Did not wait for today)

This is the beauty and complexity of the English language.
Good one!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:42 am
Thanked: 1 times

by mad2011 » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:45 pm
Poor chap and his eye suffered every time :D :D :D

• Page 1 of 1