Goldilocks and the Three Verbs

Abstract

The revised fairy tale which follows is a suggestion for categorizing German simple past (narrative past, preterite) verb forms in an attempt to make them stand out in the students' memories.' Because simple past verb forms can be divided into three groups, and because one of the elements associated with fairy tales in Western cultures is the number three, a modified fairy tale is a particularly appropriate vehicle for this grammatical topic. Actual classroom experience has shown that chronological age of the students alone does not restrict the applicability of this story. It has been used successfully with university students, albeit with plenty of humor surrounding the presentation. If the instructor brings the students into the spirit of the event and makes them coconspirators in the narration, there is no reason why a fairy tale need come across as juvenile or condescending to any age group. Furthermore, the amusement which accompanies the telling contributes to the pedagogical effect, because students remember the fun and the lesson simultaneously.