I Am All Tensed Out.

Conundrum and confusion...

When you have to explain the various English tenses purely by grammatical rules and signal words, they start to blur together after a while. Coupled with the sad fact that most of the kids have never read an English book for recreation, it makes it even more confusing to explain when and where to use what!

For example the verb, to go:
go / is going / went / was going / has gone / had gone / has been going / had been going / would go / would have gone / will go / will have gone /

Obviously nobody is perfect and the odd mistake can and does creep in, but on the whole, most of us choose the right tense by instinct.

My rather frequent sermons about the importance of reading for pleasure fall mostly on deaf ears and even the promise of saving oodles of time in regards to homework etc, doesn't convince them. Oh well, what can you do? If only they knew the hidden treasures and pleasures that are contained between the covers of books...

One young lass though, loves reading and has always a book on the go. Yes, at the tender age of ten, she is sailing through her classes, and even when we did grammar exercises a grade beyond her age, she did them with ease...

Learning a second language can be a challenge and I hold thumbs for their test on Monday...yes, all this revising of tenses is not undertaken for fun, but only as there is a test afoot.

As for me, today will be a divine one spent among the vines and hopefully accompanied by sunshine. Today it is the turn of the red grapes to meet the Rebler ( crusher ! ) and the nice bit is that it will be a family affair. Coupled with the lure of a divine Buschenschank lunch, this Saturday should be more than okay.

Biggi