A garden path sentence is a grammatically correct sentence that initially leads readers to interpret it in a way that turns out to be incorrect. This misdirection occurs because the structure of the sentence can be misleading, causing confusion until the reader reaches the end and reanalyzes the meaning. For example, the sentence "The horse raced past the barn fell" initially suggests a simple action but requires rethinking to understand its true meaning. These sentences highlight the complexities of language processing and how our brains interpret syntax. They demonstrate that understanding a sentence often involves more than just recognizing individual words; it requires grasping the overall structure and context. Garden path sentences are often used in linguistic studies to explore how people comprehend language and resolve ambiguities.