The Things We Learn

So, I'm preparing for a private lesson I have tomorrow afternoon with a new student. He lived in the United States for several years as a child, including the grades K-4 in school. But in the 12 years he's been back in Costa Rica, he hasn't used his English and it has gotten very rusty. So we're going to catch him back up on the basics and I'll also help him with pronunciation and such.

Now, I've spoken English for 45 years or so (I don't remember exactly when I started talking) and, if I may say so, I speak it pretty well. But if you ask me why to use a certain form of a verb, and what that form is called -- for example, the Present Continuous -- you are likely to see a blank stare. I know it, but I don't know what it's called, basically. Therefore, I'm having to learn all the boring bits that were the parts that I really detested in school (which was the main reason I turned down the full scholarship in English at a prestigious Midwestern university that I was offered coming out of high school).

Anyway, as I was preparing for tomorrow's session, I came across this:

Betty Botter's Better Batter

Betty Botter had some butter,
"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.

If I bake this bitter butter,
It would make my batter bitter.

But a bit of better butter,
That would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter –
Better than her bitter butter –

And she baked it in her batter;
And the batter was not bitter.

So 'twas better Betty Botter
Bought a bit of better butter.

Try saying that one five times fast. :)