Tech, Time and Tense – A Glimpse

Let Us Learn Together – Tech, Time and Tense

Two years ago, when I started sharing grammar reels on Instagram and YouTube, I was searching for the right title. I kept coming back to one phrase: “Let Us Learn Together.” It felt right, because that’s exactly what I wanted to do.

I didn’t want to preach. I wanted to explore. I wanted to grow alongside others, whether I knew them or not. That title stuck with me, not just as a name, but as a purpose. Then life shifted. Work, responsibilities, and silence took over. I stopped posting. Weeks turned into months. I wondered, “What do I write now? Is it too late?”

And then it hit me, we don’t need to know what to write to begin writing. That’s how most meaningful things begin, not with clarity, but with courage. So here it is: my very first newsletter. A new chapter of shared learning. In every issue, I hope to bring you a mix of ideas, stories, and simple grammar moments that make you smile or say, “I didn’t know that!”

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy,
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Let us learn together—again.

Tech & Techniques: The Magic of Memory Hooks

Have you ever forgotten a name two seconds after hearing it? Or struggled to remember a list of words? That’s because our brains don’t remember information—they remember stories, images, and patterns.

Enter: Memory techniques.

One simple and powerful method is the Memory Hook—where you connect a new piece of information to something familiar or funny.

Take this for example: To remember that “stationary” means “not moving,” think of a bus staying at the station. The “a” in stationary reminds you it’s staying put. But “stationery” (with “e”) is the one you use to write letters, think of the “e” for envelope.

Other techniques include:

• Acronyms: Like VIBGYOR for rainbow colours.
• Loci Method: Imagine walking through a house where each room holds one thing you must remember.
• Chunking: Breaking down numbers or facts into manageable groups.

Teaching children how to remember is more important than telling them what to remember. With the right hooks, even the trickiest facts will stick like Velcro.

Time: How the Zero Changed the World

Once upon a time, the world counted without zero. Strange, right?

But it’s true, ancient civilizations had no symbol for ‘nothing’. It was in India, around the 5th century, that the concept of zero as a number began to take shape. Thinker and mathematician Aryabhata was among the first to use a symbol for zero. Later, Brahmagupta formalized its rules.

But why does zero matter?

Without it, we couldn’t write large numbers. We couldn’t perform place value operations. And without those? Computers wouldn’t exist. Algorithms wouldn’t run. The binary code, 1s and 0s, wouldn’t even be born. So the next time you see “0”, smile. It may be the smallest number, but it carries the weight of the digital world.

Tense: The Tale of Was and Were

In the Land of Lost Verbs, two siblings wandered: Was and Were.

“Why do you always get to be in stories?” grumbled Were. “It’s always ‘If I were a bird…’ but no one says ‘If I was a bird.’” Was smiled kindly. “That’s because I tell what really happened. You tell what could happen.”

“Still feels unfair,” muttered Were.

Just then, a little boy walked by and said aloud, “If I were invisible, I’d sneak into the kitchen and eat all the ice cream!” Were winked. “See? I told you I belong in dreams, wishes, and imagination.”

Grammar Note:

• Use “was” for real past events: I was late yesterday.
• Use “were” for imagined or unreal situations: If I were a superhero…

Tip to remember: If it’s not real, Were is your friend!

Until Next Time…

Learning becomes richer when we blend the past, present, and possibilities. Whether it’s through a memory trick, a forgotten invention, or a grammar tale, Let us learn together.