---
title: In a cartoon, a talking letter S says its name, «ESS!», and the word… — Sounds and letters: how phonics starts · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon, a talking letter S says its name, «ESS!», and the word «sat» appears. What is wrong? Test 9 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
---

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# Test 9 · Sounds and letters: how phonics starts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon, a talking letter S says its name, «ESS!», and the word «sat» appears. What is wrong?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** word, letter · **What happens:** say, sit, appear, name, be · **To what, where:** name, cartoon · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon, a talking letter S says its name, «ESS!», and the word «sat» appears.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t9:1
# text = In a cartoon, a talking letter S says its name, «ESS!», and the word «sat» appears.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	talking	talking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	_
8	S	's	PART	POS	Typo=Yes	7	case	_	_
9	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
13	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	ESS	ess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	24	punct	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	nsubj	_	_
21	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	sat	sit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	20	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	22	punct	_	_
24	appears	appear	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present |  | letter's name |  | a cartoon |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent name=Theme in cartoon=Manner |
| 2 | **sit** *in a quote* | past | the word *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **appear** | present | the word |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **name** |  | letter |  |  |  |  |  | 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is wrong?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t9:2
# text = What is wrong?
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	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	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 |  |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The word should be «ess-at», spelled with four letters

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t9:o1:1
# text = The word should be «ess-at», spelled with four letters
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	cop	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	ess	ess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	spelled	spell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
12	with	with	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	four	four	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	14	nummod	_	_
14	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | should | the word | ess |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **spell** | participle |  | ess *not said here* |  |  |  | with four letters | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent with letter=Manner |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
S should say «suh-uh» for the word to work

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t9:o2:1
# text = S should say «suh-uh» for the word to work
1	S	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	suh	suh	INTJ	UH	_	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	uh	uh	INTJ	UH	_	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	work	work	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | should | S |  |  |  |  | for the word | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent uh=Topic |
| 2 | **work** | to-infinitive | S *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing, letter names build words in real reading

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t9:o3:1
# text = Nothing, letter names build words in real reading
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	build	build	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	reading	reading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **build** | present | Nothing letter names | words |  | real reading |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset word=Product |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The sound /s/ is what goes into «sat», not the name

<!-- fold The tree, 11 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts:t9:o4:1
# text = The sound /s/ is what goes into «sat», not the name
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	8	nsubj	_	_
8	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	into	into	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	sat	sit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the sound and s |  |  |  |  | the name *obl*; go *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **sit** *in a quote* | past | the sound and s *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «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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