12 MARCH 2005, Page 21

Cobbett was ready

From Philip Pullman

Sir: I’m grateful to Charles Moore (The Spectator’s Notes, 26 February) for his neat demonstration of why I’m right in the grammar debate. The study of grammar was useful to Cobbett because he began it (a) when he was ready for it, and (b) because he wanted to.

Philip Pullman

Cumnor, Oxford