The Problem with Words…

“Language is the source of misunderstandings.”
from Le Petit Prince, by Antoine de Saunt-Exupéry

I always felt German was a hard language to learn – much harder than French, my first foreign language at school – but I do understand that the English language has its problems too…

Here are some sentences found, oh goodness knows where, many years ago, that I sometimes show to my students to console them when they have difficulties!

1. The farm was used to produce produce.
2. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
3. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
4. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
5. I did not object to the object.
6. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
7. They were too close to the door to close it.
8. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
9. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
10. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

And then there’s these:

• The chicken is ready to eat.
• Visiting relatives can be boring.
• They are cooking apples.
• They are hunting dogs.
• We saw her duck.
• He ate the cookies in the kitchen.
• Mine exploded.
• I know a man with a dog who has fleas.

😀

Who says English is easy?!