---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the real historical origin of the alphabet? Exam question 4 of lesson 89 «Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 3: «the Alphabet, all complete», and how letters really began» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with
---

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# Exam question 4 · Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 3: «the A…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the real historical origin of the alphabet?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** real historical origin

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 89 «Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 3: «the Alphabet, all complete», and how letters really began» of the books course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/books/89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete:e4:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the real historical origin of the alphabet?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
10	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
11	historical	historical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	origin	origin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	alphabet	alphabet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  | the real historical origin of the alphabet |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was invented in a single afternoon

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete:e4:o1:1
# text = It was invented in a single afternoon
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	afternoon	afternoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **invent** | past · passive |  | It |  |  | afternoon |  | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Result |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was invented by one Egyptian scribe in a single lifetime, the Romans adding numbers

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete:e4:o2:1
# text = It was invented by one Egyptian scribe in a single lifetime, the Romans adding numbers
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
6	Egyptian	Egyptian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	scribe	scribe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	lifetime	lifetime	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	Romans	Roman	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	obl:agent	_	_
15	adding	add	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	acl	_	_
16	numbers	number	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **invent** | past · passive | the Romans | It |  | a single lifetime |  | by one Egyptian scribe | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Result |
| 2 | **add** *speech: assert* | gerund | the Romans *not said here* | numbers |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent number=Patient |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It developed over some two thousand years among several peoples, the Greeks adding vowels

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete:e4:o3:1
# text = It developed over some two thousand years among several peoples, the Greeks adding vowels
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	developed	develop	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	over	over	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
5	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	compound	_	_
6	thousand	thousand	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
8	among	among	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	several	several	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	peoples	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	Greeks	Greek	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
14	adding	add	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	13	acl	_	_
15	vowels	vowel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **develop** | past | It | the Greeks |  |  | year | among several peoples | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme among people=Location |
| 2 | **add** *speech: assert* | gerund | the Greeks *not said here* | vowels |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent vowel=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It grew over some five hundred years in one city, the Greeks dropping vowels

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete:e4:o4:1
# text = It grew over some five hundred years in one city, the Greeks dropping vowels
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	grew	grow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	over	over	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
5	five	five	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	compound	_	_
6	hundred	hundred	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	10	nummod	_	_
10	city	city	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	Greeks	Greek	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
14	dropping	drop	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
15	vowels	vowel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | past | It |  |  | one city | year |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in city=Location |
| 2 | **drop** | gerund | the Greeks | vowels |  |  |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent vowel=Theme |

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**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete/e3/)
- next →: [Just So Stories, The Crab that Played…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/90-justso-crab-1-the-eldest-magician/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 3: «the Alphabet, all complete», and how letters really began](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/89-justso-alphabet-3-the-alphabet-all-complete/)