---
title: «that rule is wicked dumb, what about their?» What would a teacher s… — i before e, silent letters and other f… · tree and pragmatics
description: «that rule is wicked dumb, what about their?» What would a teacher say? Test 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; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · i before e, silent letters and other famous traps

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«that rule is wicked dumb, what about their?» What would a teacher say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** rule, teacher · **What happens:** be, say · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ 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/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «that rule is wicked dumb, what about their?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t3:1
# text = «that rule is wicked dumb, what about their?»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
3	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	wicked	wicked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	dumb	dumb	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	obl	_	_
9	about	about	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | that rule |  |  |  |  | dumb *property* | 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What would a teacher say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t3:2
# text = What would a teacher say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | would | a teacher |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Their» is spelled «thier»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t3:o1:1
# text = «Their» is spelled «thier»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	spelled	spell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	thier	thy	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spell** | present · passive |  | Their *= they* |  |  |  | thy *property* | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP ADVP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The rule is only for /ee/; «their» doesn't have that sound

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t3:o2:1
# text = The rule is only for /ee/; «their» doesn't have that sound
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	ee	ee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	/	/	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	15	punct	_	_
10	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
13	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	parataxis	_	_
16	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	17	det	_	_
17	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the rule |  |  |  |  | for ee | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **have** | present · do-support | their *= they* | that sound |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sound=Patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad is right; the rule is useless for every single word in English

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t3:o3:1
# text = Dad is right; the rule is useless for every single word in English
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	useless	useless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
11	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Dad |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the rule |  |  |  |  | for every single word in English; useless *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Their» follows the rule because it has no c

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps:t3:o4:1
# text = «Their» follows the rule because it has no c
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	follows	follow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
10	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
11	c	c	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | present | Their *= they* | the rule |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rule=Theme |
| 2 | **have** | present | rule | no c |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent c=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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- ↑ 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/)