The students quickly added a comma after “eat,” making the sentence correct. They thought, “Now it’s clear that they’re inviting the kids to eat, not suggesting they eat the kids!” Mrs. Smith nodded in approval.
But then, one student, little Timmy, raised his hand.
“Mrs. Smith, I have a question,” he said.
“Yes, Timmy?” Mrs. Smith replied.
“What happens if we didn’t put the commas in these sentences?” Timmy asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Mrs. Smith smiled, sensing a teachable moment. “Ah, Timmy, that’s a great question. You see, punctuation can change everything! Let’s take a look at your question.”