| Zaklin aste rasyõ komã too Ie semen. | Jacqueline buys groceries as [she does] every week. |
A Cummings device that focusses on the lexical exploration of this sentence is:
Questions:
| Lil Moris, eski zot aste dipẽ too Ie zoor? | In Mauritius, do they buy bread every day? |
| Lil Moris, eski zot aste doori too Ie zoor? | In Mauritius, do they buy rice every day? |
| etc. | etc. |
Rejoinders:
| Zot aste dipẽ too Ie zoor. | They buy bread every day. |
| Zot aste doori too Ie semen. | They buy rice every week. |
| etc. | etc. |
Students first learn to pronounce, understand and manipulate these sentences, and then go on immediately to use them in the form of two-line conversations. Note that these conversations remain in touch with reality, for this Cummings device contains accurate information about the frequency with which various items are bought. Because of differences in marketing practices and refrigeration facilities, the student will find certain differences between Mauritius and his home. A factually inaccurate answer to one of these questions is just as wrong as a linguistically incorrect one. Thus, as the student practices a new construction ('too Ie zoor/semen'), he is also learning some down-to-earth facts about the place where he expects to live.
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