I love English. Sure, English is impossibly inconsistant on the surface, but its rules are there – they are deep and hidden. Rather than saying English is nonsensical, its safer to say that one must speak English with devotion for decades to understand its secrets. As an example: Take the prepositional phrase, “get on.” What does that mean?

Let me tell you a story about Al Capone:

How Al Capone Got On

As a child, Al Capone got on the bus every day to go to school.

His mom got on him about his grades, so he worked hard.

He even got on student government.

As an adult, he got on with everyone… except the law.

He eventually got on the police’s “Public enemy” list.

They got him on tax evasion.

He almost got off in appeals court, but spent 11 years in prison.

He didn’t leave prison until he after he got on a guerney.