I learned by rote too.
Then when I thought I 'had it', before I went to my Spanish lesson I would have breakfast in a bar run by a Columbian friend & she would call across the bar I work - we eat - they live - he is and so on so that I could say them 'out of order' as it were.
I find that once you have learned one tense & understand the pattern, the others are fairly easy.
It's learning when to use them that is then a little harder..................
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