Description: English Language undergraduates at the University of Chester (UK) review debates and controversies in the world of English Language and Linguistics
Do you know what an adverbial is? What about a relative pronoun? Can you spot your modal verbs from your main verbs?
If most of this grammatical terminology sounds alien to you, then you will most likely struggle to pass the current Key Stage 2 SPaG (Spelling Punctuation and Grammar) test. I am sure without the knowledge of this grammatical terminology, many of you would regard yourselves adept writers and communicators. So, why is it that children aged seven to eleven across England must prove that they can spot these complex grammatical elements, in order to learn to write “properly, creatively and effectively?” ( Depar
The SPaG test was first introduced in England by the UK government in 2013, following Lord Bew’s ‘Key Stage 2 Testing Assessment and Accountability Report’. The report “highlighted significant issues with the existing writing national curriculum test” ( DfE, 2011 ). During 2012 the government’s performance tables also took a hit, as the statistics for writing across primary schools in England were reported to be below average (ouch!) (DfE, 2013). According to Truss, the Education Minister during this time,