---
title: Grandad: «nae fancy phonics in ma day, we just read». What is fair t… — Sounds and letters: how phonics starts · tree and pragmatics
description: Grandad: «nae fancy phonics in ma day, we just read». What is fair to say? Test 8 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 choice was right.
---

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# Test 8 · Sounds and letters: how phonics starts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandad: «nae fancy phonics in ma day, we just read». What is fair to say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** nae, Grandad · **What happens:** phonic, read, be, say · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 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/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Grandad: «nae fancy phonics in ma day, we just read».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t8:1
# text = Grandad: «nae fancy phonics in ma day, we just read».
1	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	nae	nae	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	6	nsubj	_	_
5	fancy	fancy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	phonics	phonic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	appos	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	ma	ma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
11	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	just	just	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	read	read	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	13	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **phonic** *in a quote* |  | nae |  |  |  | day |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **read** *in a quote* | past | Grandad |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is fair to say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t8:2
# text = What is fair to say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | fair *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandad couldn't have learned to read at all without phonics

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t8:o1:1
# text = Grandad couldn't have learned to read at all without phonics
1	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux	_	_
5	learned	learn	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	obl	_	_
10	without	without	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	phonics	phonic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **learn** | could · perfect | Grandad |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **read** | to-infinitive | Grandad *not said here* |  |  | all |  | without phonics | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP PP.value»: agent=Agent at all=Value |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Phonics was used by everyone in his day, he just forgot

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t8:o2:1
# text = Phonics was used by everyone in his day, he just forgot
1	Phonics	phonic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	3	obl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	just	just	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	forgot	forget	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | past · passive | everyone | Phonics |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Patient |
| 2 | **forget** | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Many learned by whole words, but phonics helps children read words they've never seen

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t8:o3:1
# text = Many learned by whole words, but phonics helps children read words they've never seen
1	Many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	nsubj	_	_
2	learned	learn	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	csubj:pass	_	_
3	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	phonics	phonic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
9	helps	help	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
11	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
13	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	've	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
15	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
16	seen	see	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	12	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **learn** | participle | Many |  |  |  |  | by whole words | vn learn-14-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **help** | present | phonics | children |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent child=Beneficiary clause=Theme |
| 3 | **read** | infinitive | children *not said here* | words |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Topic |
| 4 | **not** **see** | present · perfect | phonics *= phonic* | words *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer word=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Whole-word reading is the only way anyone has ever learned to read, in any country

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t8:o4:1
# text = Whole-word reading is the only way anyone has ever learned to read, in any country
1	Whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	reading	reading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	12	nsubj	_	_
10	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	12	advmod	_	_
12	learned	learn	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	8	acl:relcl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	18	det	_	_
18	country	country	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | word reading | the only way and any country |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **learn** | present · perfect | anyone | the only way and any country *not said here* |  |  | ever |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **read** | to-infinitive | anyone *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- 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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