Why Some Sentences Trick You Into Rereading

Introduction

Some of the most common causes of rereading are not difficult words or unfamiliar topics but sentence structures that briefly encourage the wrong interpretation. These are known as garden-path sentences. They lead readers towards a plausible meaning early in the sentence and then reveal, a few words later, that the interpretation was mistaken. At that point, readers often slow down, move their eyes backwards, and reconstruct the sentence.

For people interested in increasing reading speed, garden-path sentences are important because they show that not all regressions are signs of inefficient reading. In many cases, looking back is the normal repair mechanism used when the brain discovers that its first interpretation was incorrect. Eye-tracking research consistently finds that garden-path constructions trigger longer reading times, increased regressions, and additional processing effort as readers revise their understanding. [PubMed+2UMass People]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPub Med Why reread?Evidence from garden-path and local…by K Christianson · 2017 · Cited by 92 — Two eye-tracking experiments were conducted to compare th…

What Creates a Garden-Path Sentence?

Reading is an incremental process. Readers do not wait until the end of a sentence before assigning meaning. Instead, they make rapid predictions about grammatical structure and meaning as each word arrives. This strategy is usually efficient, but it occasionally leads to errors. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comTaylor & Francis OnlineFull article: On the parsing of garden-path sentencesby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — The present study reports…

A garden-path sentence exploits this tendency. Early words support one interpretation, but later words force a different one.

Consider the classic example:

> The horse raced past the barn fell. [youtube.com]youtube.comGarden Path Sentence Explained: The horse raced past the barn fellHow Do We Interpret Sentences? Parsing Strategies…

Most readers initially treat “raced” as the sentence’s main verb. When they reach “fell”, that interpretation becomes impossible. The sentence actually means:

> The horse that was raced past the barn fell. [youtube.com]youtube.comGarden Path Sentence Explained: The horse raced past the barn fellHow Do We Interpret Sentences? Parsing Strategies…

The reader must abandon the first analysis and build a new one. [Wikipedia]WikipediaGarden-path sentenceGarden-path sentence

Another example is:

While Anna dressed the baby played in the cot.

Readers often assume that “the baby” is the object of “dressed”. Later words reveal that “the baby” is actually the subject of a new clause. The sentence is grammatical, but the reader’s first interpretation leads down the wrong path. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comTaylor & Francis OnlineFull article: On the parsing of garden-path sentencesby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — The present study reports…

Researchers study these sentences because they provide a controlled way to observe how comprehension works in real time. The moment of confusion reveals the predictions readers make automatically during ordinary reading. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comTaylor & Francis OnlineFull article: On the parsing of garden-path sentencesby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — The present study reports…

Why the Eyes Move Backwards

When later information contradicts an earlier interpretation, the reader faces a problem: continue with an incorrect mental representation or repair it.

Eye-tracking studies show that readers frequently choose repair. They make regressions—backward eye movements—to earlier parts of the sentence. These regressions are especially common around the point where the sentence becomes unambiguous and the initial interpretation fails. [UMass People+2PubMed]people.umass.eduClifton Staub Rayner ECEMUMass PeopleEye Movements in Reading Words and Sentencesby C Clifton Jr · Cited by 820 — (2003) data did significant garden-path effects…

The repair process typically involves three stages:

This sequence creates measurable reading costs. Readers spend longer on the disambiguating region, make more regressions, and often reread earlier words before continuing. [UMass People+2UCL Discovery]people.umass.eduClifton Staub Rayner ECEMUMass PeopleEye Movements in Reading Words and Sentencesby C Clifton Jr · Cited by 820 — (2003) data did significant garden-path effects…

Importantly, the backward movement is not random. Research examining rereading behaviour in garden-path sentences has found evidence that readers often revisit regions that are most relevant to resolving the ambiguity rather than simply scanning backwards indiscriminately. [PubMed+2PLOS]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govSelective rereading in Chinese garden path sentencesby H Chen · Cited by 2 — The results provide clear evidence of selective reread…

Comprehension Repair Is Not Always Complete

A surprising finding from psycholinguistic research is that readers do not always fully recover from a garden path.

Even after rereading and reaching the end of the sentence, traces of the original misunderstanding may remain. Studies by Fernanda Ferreira, Kiel Christianson, Thomas Slattery and colleagues have repeatedly shown that readers can answer comprehension questions in ways that reveal lingering influence from the incorrect initial interpretation. [Ferreira Lab+2PLOS]ferreiralab.faculty.ucdavis.eduSlattery et al. 2013 GardenPathCompetingRepresentations JMLFerreira LabLingering misinterpretations of garden path sentences…by TJ Slattery · 2013 · Cited by 244 — Sentences containing temporar…

For example, a reader may correctly identify the sentence’s final grammatical structure while still retaining aspects of the earlier mistaken meaning. Rather than completely deleting the original interpretation, the mind may preserve competing representations simultaneously. [Ferreira Lab+2PLOS]ferreiralab.faculty.ucdavis.eduSlattery et al. 2013 GardenPathCompetingRepresentations JMLFerreira LabLingering misinterpretations of garden path sentences…by TJ Slattery · 2013 · Cited by 244 — Sentences containing temporar…

Recent research suggests that the outcome of comprehension repair is often more varied than once assumed. Instead of producing a single perfectly revised representation, readers may end up with partially corrected interpretations that differ in accuracy and completeness. [PLOS]journals.plos.orgGarden-path sentences and the diversity of their (mis…by M Ceháková · 2023 · Cited by 24 — We argue that resulting representations…

This helps explain why some sentences continue to feel confusing even after they have been reread.

Examples From Everyday Reading

Laboratory examples are useful, but garden-path effects also appear in ordinary prose. [Wikipedia]WikipediaGarden-path sentenceGarden-path sentence

News writing, technical documentation, legal text, and poorly edited business communication sometimes contain structures that momentarily mislead readers.

Consider:

The manager told the employee was late.

At first glance, many readers expect “the employee” to be the object of “told”. The sentence later signals that another clause has begun, forcing reinterpretation.

Or:

After the meeting ended the report surprised everyone.

Many readers initially attach “the report” to the first clause before discovering that it begins the second clause. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comTaylor & Francis OnlineFull article: On the parsing of garden-path sentencesby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — The present study reports…

Writers often remove these difficulties by adding punctuation or extra function words:

• “The manager told that the employee was late.”
• “After the meeting ended, the report surprised everyone.”

Small changes can prevent readers from entering the wrong interpretive path in the first place. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comTaylor & Francis OnlineFull article: On the parsing of garden-path sentencesby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — The present study reports…

What Garden Paths Reveal About Reading Speed

Garden-path sentences demonstrate an important limit on speed-reading assumptions. Faster reading is not simply a matter of suppressing regressions. Sometimes regressions are the direct consequence of efficient predictive comprehension.

Skilled readers routinely anticipate meaning before a sentence is complete. Most of the time this strategy increases speed because predictions are correct. Garden-path sentences expose the cost of the occasional prediction error. The rereading that follows is not wasted effort; it is evidence that comprehension monitoring has detected a problem and initiated repair. [Oxford University Research Archive+2PubMed]ora.ox.ac.ukford University Research ArchiveComprehension monitoring during reading: an eye-tracking…by AK Hessel · 2020 · Cited by 51 — This me…

Research on rereading and garden-path processing also suggests that additional rereading does not always guarantee perfect recovery. Some regressions support successful reinterpretation, while others merely reflect ongoing uncertainty. The goal is therefore not to eliminate backward eye movements but to maintain enough comprehension monitoring to recognise when a sentence requires revision. [Illinois Experts+2PubMed]experts.illinois.eduretracing the garden path nonselective rereading and no reanalysiIllinois ExpertsRetracing the garden-path: Nonselective rereading and no…by K Christianson · 2024 · Cited by 22 — The current study co…

In the context of increasing reading speed, garden-path sentences highlight a key trade-off: efficient readers move forward rapidly when the text is clear, but they also possess the flexibility to pause, regress, and repair understanding when language temporarily leads them astray. [UCL Discovery+2UMass People]discovery.ucl.ac.ukUCL DiscoveryDown the garden-path and back againIn agreement with the literature on garden-path sentences, the five experiments reported…

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Endnotes

1. Source: people.umass.edu
   Title: Clifton Staub Rayner ECEM
   Link: https://people.umass.edu/~cec/CliftonStaubRaynerECEM.pdf
   Source snippet

   UMass PeopleEye Movements in Reading Words and Sentencesby C Clifton Jr · Cited by 820 — (2003) data did significant garden-path effects...

2. Source: Wikipedia
   Title: Garden-path sentence
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden-path_sentence

3. Source: journals.plos.org
   Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0198620
   Source snippet

   of ellipsis with garden-path antecedents in French...by D Paape · 2018 · Cited by 18 — In eye tracking, targeted regressions to the ante...

4. Source: journals.plos.org
   Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0288817&type=printable
   Source snippet

   ONE - Research journalsby M Ceháková · 2023 · Cited by 24 — Previous studies have reliably shown that the initial misanalysis of garden-p...

5. Source: journals.plos.org
   Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0288817
   Source snippet

   Garden-path sentences and the diversity of their (mis...by M Ceháková · 2023 · Cited by 24 — We argue that resulting representations...

6. Source: experts.illinois.edu
   Title: retracing the garden path nonselective rereading and no reanalysi
   Link: https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/retracing-the-garden-path-nonselective-rereading-and-no-reanalysi/
   Source snippet

   Illinois ExpertsRetracing the garden-path: Nonselective rereading and no...by K Christianson · 2024 · Cited by 22 — The current study co...

7. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
   Title: Pub Med Why reread?
   Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27150840/
   Source snippet

   Evidence from garden-path and local...by K Christianson · 2017 · Cited by 92 — Two eye-tracking experiments were conducted to compare th...

8. Source: tandfonline.com
   Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23273798.2021.1922727
   Source snippet

   Taylor & Francis OnlineFull article: On the parsing of garden-path sentencesby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — The present study [reports]({{ 'reports/' | relative_url }})...

9. Source: discovery.ucl.ac.uk
   Link: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10098047/1/LBlott_PhDThesis_POSTCORRECTIONS.pdf
   Source snippet

   UCL DiscoveryDown the garden-path and back againIn agreement with the literature on garden-path sentences, the five experiments reported...

10. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41396621/
    Source snippet

    Selective rereading in Chinese garden path sentencesby H Chen · Cited by 2 — The results provide clear evidence of selective reread...

11. Source: ferreiralab.faculty.ucdavis.edu
    Title: Slattery et al. 2013 GardenPathCompetingRepresentations JML
    Link: https://ferreiralab.faculty.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/222/2015/05/Slattery-et-al.-2013_GardenPathCompetingRepresentations_JML.pdf
    Source snippet

    Ferreira LabLingering misinterpretations of garden path sentences...by TJ Slattery · 2013 · Cited by 244 — Sentences containing temporar...

12. Source: ora.ox.ac.uk
    Link: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid%3Aa16f42e2-529d-47ae-ba51-50b75dd43899/files/rkh04dp70d
    Source snippet

    ford University Research ArchiveComprehension monitoring during reading: an eye-tracking...by AK Hessel · 2020 · Cited by 51 — This me...

13. Source: tandfonline.com
    Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0163853X.2025.2513210
    Source snippet

    Beyond initial misanalysis: the disruptive nature of garden-...by M Ceháková · 2025 · Cited by 3 — Garden-path sentences like (1) are fr...

Additional References

1. Source: researchgate.net
   Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11202102_Overt_reanalysis_strategies_and_eye_movements_during_the_reading_of_mild_garden_path_sentences
   Source snippet

   (PDF) Overt reanalysis strategies and eye movements...This study examined two key questions about rereading in Chinese garden-path sente...

2. Source: researchgate.net
   Title: 372446524 Garden path sentences and the diversity of their misrepresentations
   Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372446524_Garden-path_sentences_and_the_diversity_of_their_misrepresentations
   Source snippet

   (PDF) Garden-path sentences and the diversity of their (mis...18 Jul 2023 — Previous studies have reliably shown that the initial misana...

3. Source: centaur.reading.ac.uk
   Title: Cent AUROn the parsing of garden-path sentences
   Link: https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/97834/21/23273798.2021.pdf
   Source snippet

   the parsing of garden-path sentences - CentAURby H Fujita · 2021 · Cited by 29 — Previous studies have reported that temporarily ambiguou...

4. Source: medium.com
   Link: https://medium.com/language-lab/the-sentence-that-tricks-almost-everyone-and-why-fd0a1e8ba33b
   Source snippet

   on, then forces you to revise when later words reveal...Read more...

5. Source: cambridge.org
   Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/applied-psycholinguistics/article/realtime-comprehension-of-gardenpath-constructions-by-preschoolers-a-mandarin-perspective/14923E177D5C656003F8CEC424133FE2
   Source snippet

   Real-time comprehension of garden-path constructions by...by P Zhou · 2021 · Cited by 7 — The present study investigated whether 4- and...

6. Source: arxiv.org
   Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.18563

7. Source: youtube.com
   Title: Garden Path Sentence Explained: The horse raced past the barn fell
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdS4vB5pSvw
   Source snippet

   How Do We Interpret Sentences? Parsing Strategies...

8. Source: youtube.com
   Title: Psycholinguistics: How Your Brain Understands Language
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzzeiR9heNA
   Source snippet

   Sentence Processing. Garden Path and Constraint-Based Model...

9. Source: diva-portal.org
   Link: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2%3A428103/FULLTEXT01.pdf
   Source snippet

   Are students in high school able to comprehend Garden-...by A Rönneke-Widerström · 2011 — The aim of this study was to investigate wheth...

10. Source: ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
    Link: https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rrq.70023
    Source snippet

    Eye Movements From a “Read‐Only” Task to Predict...by DC Mézière · 2025 · Cited by 3 — For example, research shows that readers tend to...