---
title: «i before e except after c, always, no exceptions, sorted». What's t… — i before e, silent letters and other f… · tree and pragmatics
description: «i before e except after c, always, no exceptions, sorted». What's the problem? Test 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 option; Mova's choice was wr
---

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# Test 1 · ★ · i before e, silent letters and other famous traps

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«i before e except after c, always, no exceptions, sorted». What's the problem?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** i, problem · **What happens:** e, sort, be · **To what, where:** exceptions

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★ of lesson 10 «i before e, silent letters and other famous traps» 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/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «i before e except after c, always, no exceptions, sorted».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t1:1
# text = «i before e except after c, always, no exceptions, sorted».
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	i	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	e	e	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	except	except	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	after	after	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	c	c	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
9	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	12	det	_	_
12	exceptions	exception	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	sorted	sort	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **e** *in a quote* | present | i |  |  |  |  | except c; always *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **sort** *in a quote* | participle |  | no exceptions *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn classify-29.10 «NP V NP»: 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's the problem?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t1:2
# text = What's the problem?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is only for words that start with c, like «ceiling» and «cereal»

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t1:o1:1
# text = It is only for words that start with c, like «ceiling» and «cereal»
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	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	start	start	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	c	c	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	like	like	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	ceiling	ceiling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	cereal	cereal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | for words and ceiling and cereal | tree rules |
| 2 | **start** | present | words and ceiling and cereal |  |  |  |  | with c | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with c=Subeventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It should be «e before i except after c»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t1:o2:1
# text = It should be «e before i except after c»
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	cop	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	e	e	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	before	before	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	i	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	conj	_	_
8	except	except	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	after	after	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	c	c	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | should | It | e |  |  |  | except c | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing, the rhyme has no exceptions

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t1:o3:1
# text = Nothing, the rhyme has no exceptions
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	rhyme	rhyme	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	exceptions	exception	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Nothing | no exceptions |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent exception=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's a guide for /ee/; words like «weird» break it

<!-- fold The tree, 11 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t1:o4:1
# text = It's a guide for /ee/; words like «weird» break it
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	guide	guide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	ee	ee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	10	punct	_	_
10	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
11	like	like	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	weird	weird	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
15	break	break	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	parataxis	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a guide |  |  |  | for ee | tree rules |
| 2 | **break** | infinitive | words like weird | ee |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=Patient |

<!-- 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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- ← previous: [Suffixes -ous, -ly, -ful, -less, -ness…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/9-suffixes-ous-ly-ful-less-ness-ment/e4/)
- next →: [i before e, silent letters and other f…, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/t2/)
- ↑ 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/)