---
title: «my nan says u gotta learn the whole alphabet song before u can read… — Sounds and letters: how phonics starts · tree and pragmatics
description: «my nan says u gotta learn the whole alphabet song before u can read, that's the rule innit». Is she right? Test 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 question and of each option; Mova's c
---

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# Test 1 · Sounds and letters: how phonics starts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«my nan says u gotta learn the whole alphabet song before u can read, that's the rule innit». Is she right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** nan, u, that · **What happens:** say, learn, read, be · **To what, where:** whole alphabet song, rule innit · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 of lesson 1 «Sounds and letters: how phonics starts» of the English course of Mova's primary school. 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/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «my nan says u gotta learn the whole alphabet song before u can read, that's the rule innit».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t1:1
# text = «my nan says u gotta learn the whole alphabet song before u can read, that's the rule innit».
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	nan	nan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	u	u	X	GW	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	gotta	gotta	PART	TO	_	5	goeswith	_	_
7	learn	learn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
9	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	alphabet	alphabet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
12	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
13	u	you	PRON	PRP	Abbr=Yes|Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
14	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
17	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	21	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	cop	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
20	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	compound	_	_
21	innit	innit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | my nan |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **learn** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | the whole alphabet song |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent song=Topic |
| 3 | **read** *in a quote* | can | u |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | that | the rule innit |  |  |  |  | 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Is she right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t1:2
# text = Is she right?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	right	right	ADV	RB	_	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | nan |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the song helps with order, but reading starts from the sounds

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t1:o1:1
# text = No, the song helps with order, but reading starts from the sounds
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	helps	help	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	reading	reading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	starts	start	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
12	from	from	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present | the song |  |  |  |  | with order | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent with order=Theme |
| 2 | **start** | present | reading |  |  | the sounds |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the song is useless and nobody should sing it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t1:o2:1
# text = No, the song is useless and nobody should sing it
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	useless	useless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	10	nsubj	_	_
9	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	sing	sing	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the song |  |  |  |  | useless *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **sing** *speech: express* | should | nobody | song |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location it=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only the first half of the song

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t1:o3:1
# text = Yes, but only the first half of the song
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	7	amod	_	_
7	half	half	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing|NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac	0	root	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, nobody can read a word until they can sing the whole song

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t1:o4:1
# text = Yes, nobody can read a word until they can sing the whole song
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	5	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
9	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	sing	sing	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	advcl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | can | nobody | a word |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Topic |
| 2 | **sing** *speech: express* | can | they | the whole song |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location song=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**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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