---
title: Identify the principal reason for which the sounds of letters, rathe… — Sounds and letters: how phonics starts · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which the sounds of letters, rather than their names, are employed when a child first learns to read. Exam question 1 of lesson 1 «Sounds and letters: how phonics starts» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Exam question 1 · Sounds and letters: how phonics starts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which the sounds of letters, rather than their names, are employed when a child first learns to read.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, child, sounds · **What happens:** identify, employ, learn, read, name · **To what, where:** principal reason, sounds

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 1 «Sounds and letters: how phonics starts» of the English 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/english/1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which the sounds of letters, rather than their names, are employed when a child first learns to read.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	18	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	rather	rather	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
13	than	than	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
17	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux:pass	_	_
18	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	_
19	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	23	advmod	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nsubj	_	_
22	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	23	advmod	_	_
23	learns	learn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	advcl	_	_
24	to	to	PART	TO	_	25	mark	_	_
25	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	23	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **employ** | present · passive |  | the sounds of letters than sounds's names |  |  |  | for the principal reason | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: subject=Theme for which=Eventuality |
| 3 | **learn** | present | a child |  |  |  |  | first *property* | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **read** | to-infinitive | a child *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **name** |  | sounds *= sound* |  |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The sounds are more numerous and therefore more interesting

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:e1:o1:1
# text = The sounds are more numerous and therefore more interesting
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	5	advmod	_	_
5	numerous	numerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	therefore	therefore	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	9	advmod	_	_
9	interesting	interesting	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the sounds |  |  |  |  | numerous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | the sounds *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The names of letters are no longer taught in any school

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:e1:o2:1
# text = The names of letters are no longer taught in any school
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
6	no	no	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	8	advmod	_	_
8	taught	teach	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	11	det	_	_
11	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **teach** *speech: other* | present · passive |  | the names of letters |  | any school |  | long *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |
| 2 | **name** |  |  | letters |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The names of the letters vary from one country to another

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:e1:o3:1
# text = The names of the letters vary from one country to another
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
6	vary	vary	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	country	country	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **vary** | present | the names of the letters |  |  |  |  | from one country to another | vn differ-23.4 «NP V PP.co-theme»: agent=Theme from country=Co-Theme |
| 2 | **name** |  |  | the letters |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The sounds may be blended into words, whereas the names may not

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:e1:o4:1
# text = The sounds may be blended into words, whereas the names may not
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	blended	blend	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	into	into	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
12	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
13	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blend** | may · passive |  | the sounds |  |  |  | into words | vn mix-22.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: subject=Patient into word=Co-Patient |

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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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