The Eleven Plus and `It'

It was fortunate that we could catch the Eurostar train.

This can be expressed as:

That we could catch Eurostar train was fortunate.

`That we could catch the Eurostar train’ is a noun clause.

`That we could catch the Eurostar train’ is a noun clause in apposition to it.

This type of analysis of a sentence used to be considered as good old fashioned teaching. At the moment there is no place for an exercise like this in the eleven plus. The teaching of formal grammar – and the testing of grammar in formal examinations - seems to have disappeared. Some parents must hope that once their children are in grammar schools they will be taught at least the parts of speech.

Learning the implication of taking the word `it’ out of a sentence will be intensely satisfying to some. Others will consider this exercise as a complete waste of time. A sentence can be considered as a group of words that make sense. Is it more sensible to say?

It was fortunate that we could catch the Eurostar train.

Or should we say?

That we could catch Eurostar train was fortunate.

Does it really matter?

Eleven plus children need the able to speak and write sentences that make sense. Some very bright children may, however, enjoy the challenge of learning grammar along with being tested by a multitude of multiple choice questions.