Trick answer to that one: Put a perplexing title above the sentence (something like “On ‘nt”) and then add line breaks at rather odd places, the occasional comma, and a pair of angle brackets  or a clutch of virgules for flair. Make sure to sign your name with lowercase initial caps.

--- Bill Spruiell

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of T. J. Ray
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011 6:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Epilogue on the Past Perfect Controversy

Edmond,

A personal footnote:  I once offered a traditional grammar class the

alternatives of taking a full final exam or punctuating that sentence.

No one took me up on the offer.

tj

On Monday 03/21/2011 at 4:57 am, Edmond Wright wrote:

Your version, T. J., is exactly what my English teacher produced, except
that she had a full-stop ('period') where you have a semicolon. I prefer
the semicolon.

Edmond

Brad, where Craig had had "had had," had had "had"; "had had"
had had the examiner's approval.
This is one solution.

tj



On Sunday 03/20/2011 at 7:27 am, Edmond Wright wrote:

As an epilogue on the Past Perfect Controversy I thought I might
remind you
of a well-known punctuation challenge. My English teacher used to
produce
this sort of thing in the last lessons before Christmas.

The challenge is to make sense of the following by inserting
punctuation
marks. I have updated the names.

'Brad where Craig had had had had had had had had had had had the
examiner's
approval.'

I think we all, with one exception, would agree with the examiner.

Edmond


Dr. Edmond Wright
3 Boathouse Court
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CB4 1DU
England

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