The
government has been left embarrassed after a minister was caught
napping as he failed simple grammar question meant for 11-year-olds.
Nick Gibb, Secretary of State for Schools (Picture Rex)
The government is under fire for setting brain-scrambling tests for
kids as young as six – so schools minister Nick Gibb stepped up to
answer one meant for 11-year-olds, The Mirror reports.
The incident took place while Schools Minister Nick Gibb appeared
on BBC Radio 4’s World At One, Mr Gibb was tackled by presenter Martha
Kearney.
‘Let me give you this sentence: ‘I went to the cinema
after I’d eaten my dinner’. Is the word ‘after’ there being used as a
subordinating conjunction or as a preposition,’ Ms Kearney asked.
‘It’s a preposition,’ Mr Gibb replied confidently, only for Ms Kearney to shoot back: ‘I don’t think it is. In this sentence it is being used as a subordinating conjunction.’
Mr Gibb protested: ”After’ is a preposition. It can be used in some contexts as a word that co-ordinates a sub-clause.’
He added: ‘This isn’t about me. This is about ensuring that
future generations of children – unlike me incidentally, who was not
taught grammar at primary school – we need to make sure that future
generations are taught grammar properly.’
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