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English 4-11, vol 2, 11-14
How realistic are the requirements of the National Curriculum for the teaching of grammar in primary schools? The paper reviews these demands, reports the results of an informal survey of practice in other countries, and concludes that the requirements would be reasonable if teachers were trained in grammatical analysis. However it also traces the recent history of grammar teaching in UK schools and recognises that most teachers do not know much about grammar. It suggests that teachers will soon learn enough to teach effectively, and in the meantime they can concentrate on the easiest areas of grammar. In order, these are: word structure, word classes, word families and syntax.