---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — i before e, silent letters and other f… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the rule «i before e except after c»? Exam question 1 of lesson 10 «i before e, silent letters and other famous traps» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each o
---

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# Exam question 1 · i before e, silent letters and other famous traps

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the rule «i before e except after c»?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** i · **What happens:** follow, characteris, e · **To what, where:** rule

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 10 «i before e, silent letters and other famous traps» 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/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the rule «i before e except after c»?
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	10	det	_	_
10	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	i	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
13	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	e	e	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	appos	_	_
15	except	except	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	after	after	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	c	c	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	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 rule |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **e** *in a quote* | present | i |  |  |  |  | except c | 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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a reliable guide for words containing the sound /ee/, subject to exceptions

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e1:o1:1
# text = It is a reliable guide for words containing the sound /ee/, subject to exceptions
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	reliable	reliable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	guide	guide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
8	containing	contain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	acl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	ee	ee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	subject	subject	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
16	to	to	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	exceptions	exception	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a reliable guide and subject to exceptions |  |  |  | for words | tree rules |
| 2 | **contain** | gerund | words *not said here* | the sound |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot sound=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It applies without exception to every word in the language

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e1:o2:1
# text = It applies without exception to every word in the language
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	applies	apply	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	without	without	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	exception	exception	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | present | It |  |  |  |  | without exception; to every word in the language | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was abolished by the examination boards some decades ago and is no longer taught in any school of the kingdom

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e1:o3:1
# text = It was abolished by the examination boards some decades ago and is no longer taught in any school of the kingdom
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	abolished	abolish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	examination	examination	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	boards	board	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
8	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	det	_	_
9	decades	decade	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
10	ago	ago	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux:pass	_	_
13	no	no	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	15	advmod	_	_
15	taught	teach	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	18	det	_	_
18	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	kingdom	kingdom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **abolish** | past · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **board** | present | the examination |  |  |  | decade | ago *property* | vn odge-46-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **teach** *speech: other* | present · passive |  |  |  | any school of the kingdom |  | long *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V» |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It applies exclusively to words commencing with the letter c

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e1:o4:1
# text = It applies exclusively to words commencing with the letter c
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	applies	apply	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	commencing	commence	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	c	c	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | present | It |  |  |  |  | to words; exclusively *property* | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **commence** | gerund | words *not said here* |  |  |  |  | with the letter c | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with c=Subeventuality |

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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.

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- ← previous: [i before e, silent letters and other f…, test 12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/t12/)
- next →: [i before e, silent letters and other f…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/e2/)
- ↑ back to [i before e, silent letters and other famous traps](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/)