Form, Meaning, Tone & Function

I teach language...and one of the hardest things to do is impart knowledge about how language works.

I sometimes do wish that English could be a little more straightforward; like Maths for instance.
Basically, in Math (I will not quibble here, ok?) that 1 +1 = 2.  That is an established fact that almost all (haha) humans can agree.  Black is black, and white is white....almost no shades of grey in between.

But language...is the a tool of communication.
It is rich and beautiful; it can be crude and vulgar.
Whatever it is, in its simplest, to its most complex....language delivers a whole range of meaning...and it depends very much also on the receiver who perceives what he hears or read.

How you write, what you write about, the words you use, the amount of 'layered meaning' you put in, the form you use...they are all complex.

When words break down, communication breaks down.
And that...is a cause of a lot of misunderstanding.
The other day in class, I used a well-known joke to 'teach the class' about how punctuation can bring a change in meaning.

a woman without her man is nothing

Of course, many of you would know how this will bring about a 'war' between the genders.
The males would go about it this way
A woman without her man, is nothing.

A woman, especially me, would punctuate it this way.
A woman: Without her, Man is nothing!!! (hahaha...yes 3 exclamation marks)

What is the point of my rambling today?
Well, it is a reminder maybe how important words are. Isn't it interesting how , on FB, people attract attention by putting up taglines, or status updates that are meant to entice friends and strangers to notice you?  I just need to choose what I write with more care....if I really don't intend what I 'say'...maybe I should just keep quiet....