---
title: Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning… — i before e, silent letters and other f… · tree and pragmatics
description: Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the letter s in «island». Exam question 3 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 option; 
---

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# Exam question 3 · i before e, silent letters and other famous traps

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the letter s in «island».

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, established facts · **What happens:** select, establish, concern · **To what, where:** response, letter, island

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 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/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e3:1
# text = Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the letter s in «island».
1	Select	select	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	xcomp	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	established	establish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
9	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	s	's	PART	POS	Typo=Yes	11	case	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	island	island	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **select** | imperative | you *not said here* | the response |  |  |  | consistent *property* | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent response=Theme |
| 2 | **establish** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **concern** | gerund | the established facts *not said here* | the letter |  | island |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus letter=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It indicates that the word is a plural noun

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e3:o1:1
# text = It indicates that the word is a plural noun
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	indicates	indicate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	plural	plural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	noun	noun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **is a** | present | the word | a plural noun |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was inserted in the present century by lexicographers in order to distinguish the word from «Iceland» and from «highland»

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e3:o2:1
# text = It was inserted in the present century by lexicographers in order to distinguish the word from «Iceland» and from «highland»
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	inserted	insert	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	present	present	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	century	century	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	lexicographers	lexicographer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
10	in	in	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	13	mark	_	_
11	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	fixed	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	distinguish	distinguish	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
16	from	from	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	Iceland	Iceland	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
20	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
21	from	from	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	23	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	highland	highland	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	23	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **insert** | past · passive | lexicographers | It |  |  | century |  | vn put-9.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 2 | **distinguish** | to-infinitive | lexicographers *not said here* | the word |  |  |  | from Iceland | vn distinguish-23.5-1 «NP V NP.theme PP.co-theme»: agent=Agent word=Theme from iceland=Co-Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was inserted by scholars in the erroneous belief that the word derived from Latin

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e3:o3:1
# text = It was inserted by scholars in the erroneous belief that the word derived from Latin
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	inserted	insert	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	scholars	scholar	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl:agent	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	erroneous	erroneous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	belief	belief	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
10	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	derived	derive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl	_	_
14	from	from	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	Latin	Latin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **insert** | past · passive | scholars | It |  | the erroneous belief |  |  | vn put-9.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent subject=Theme in belief=Destination |
| 2 | **derive** | past | the word | the erroneous belief *not said here* |  | Latin |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP PP.material»: agent=Agent belief=Result from latin=Material |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It has been pronounced throughout the history of the word

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:e3:o4:1
# text = It has been pronounced throughout the history of the word
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	pronounced	pronounce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	throughout	throughout	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pronounce** | present · perfect · passive |  | It |  |  | throughout the history of the word |  | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP»: subject=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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- ↑ 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/)