A Great Gram of Grammar From Grandma (Comic Poem no 129)

 In future I think I should teach the past 

Put rules in poems, so that they will last 

Better than rules are words you can copy

You say what I say; we'll both be happy. 

Do you see now what I saw yesterday?

Are you paying? Did you pay yesterday? 

We paid yesterday. We played yesterday. 

We practise what we've learned early each day.

D'you hear what I say? You heard what I said? 

Grandma's a widow. 'cause Grandpa was dead.

I wired up the lights. They hired and fired me.

I'm tired. He's tired. We're all tired - go to bed. 

I'm speaking. I speak. Yesterday I spoke. 10

I'm writing. I write. Yesterday I wrote. 10

I'm a teacher. I teach. Yesterday I taught. 11

I'm fishing. I like fishing. Look what I've caught! 11

I'm running. I run. Yesterday I ran. 

I'm winning. I win. Yesterday I won. 

I'm swimming. I swim. Yesterday I swam. 

I'm doing homework. Yesterday's task's done.

I hope you are listening. What have you learned? 

I hear the phone ringing. Tell me - who's phoned? 

I'll watch the toast. Yesterday it was burned. 

You keep watching it. Make sure it gets turned. 

You're spending my money. I've done the sums. 

We are out of cash. Let's hope something good comes.

What have you bought for me? What have you brought for tea? 

What shall I take bring? Please don't say anything.

Banks like to lend. The poor like to borrow. 

We love to spend. Don't think of tomorrow.

A library lends. Readers borrow books.

I hope this is cooked. We rely on cooks.

They're hearing. They hear. Yesterday they heard. 

D'you see what I mean? D'you get what I said? 

Did you read what I wrote? What have I read! 

They've all gone home. Was it something I said? 

Everybody knows where everyone goes. 

Does anyone know me? Who can show me?

Interesting books. I'm interested. 

I hope the grammar will stay in my head. 

Fight the good fight. Let's go. Turn off the light.

I was fraught, when I taught. It came to nought. 

He's a good speaker, gives lots of speeches. 

She told us a lot, knows what she teaches. 

Many and few are for things we can count 

How much, more or less, measures large amounts. 

I hope you've had fun. Now I have to run.

That's all. We've finished. She says we are done. 

-ends-