Watch those commas!

[yendi]

Anyone who has passed middle-school English should be able to parse this sentence: [The agreement] shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.

Alas, the lawyers at Canadian company Rogers Communications seem to have problems understanding it, and it looks likely to cost their company millions of dollars.

(Ganked from Robert Sawyer's blog).

Comments

[digriz.livejournal.com]

Anyone who has passed middle-school English should be able to parse this sentence

You have seen what passes for acceptable writing for middle-school English lately, right? ;)

[jerel.livejournal.com]

Well, the trend has been not to correct student writing in elementary and middle school levels. That makes writing, like, work, and you want the kids to enjoy writing. So you don't correct their grammar or their spelling, or any of that. Or their atrocious penmanship (because that would hurt their self-esteem.)

Most of you probably think I'm kidding...