---
title: Identify the principal reason for which the word «illegal» contains… — Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which the word «illegal» contains a double l. Exam question 2 of lesson 12 «Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-, in-, im-, il-, ir-» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's c
---

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# Exam question 2 · Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-, in-, im-, il-, ir-

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which the word «illegal» contains a double l.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, word · **What happens:** identify, contain · **To what, where:** principal reason, double l.

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 12 «Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-, in-, im-, il-, ir-» 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/12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which the word «illegal» contains a double l.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	illegal	illegal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
12	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	double	double	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	l.	l.	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **contain** | present | the word | a double l. |  |  |  | for the principal reason | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot l.=Theme |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The double l is an irregularity for which no explanation has been advanced by grammarians

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir:e2:o1:1
# text = The double l is an irregularity for which no explanation has been advanced by grammarians
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	double	double	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	l	l	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	irregularity	irregularity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	obl	_	_
9	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	10	det	_	_
10	explanation	explanation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
12	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	13	aux:pass	_	_
13	advanced	advance	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl:relcl	_	_
14	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	grammarians	grammarian	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the double l | a irregularity |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **advance** | present · perfect · passive | grammarians | no explanation |  |  |  | for a irregularity | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP PP.goal»: agent=Agent subject=Theme for which=Goal |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The letter l is doubled in all words of legal significance

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir:e2:o2:1
# text = The letter l is doubled in all words of legal significance
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	l	l	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	doubled	double	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	det	_	_
8	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	legal	legal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	significance	significance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **double** | present · passive |  | the letter l |  | all words of legal significance |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **word** |  |  | legal significance |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The word was borrowed from French with its double l unchanged

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir:e2:o3:1
# text = The word was borrowed from French with its double l unchanged
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	borrowed	borrow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
9	double	double	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	l	l	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	unchanged	unchanged	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **borrow** | past · passive |  | the word |  | French |  | with word's double l unchanged | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP PP.source»: subject=Theme from french=Source |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The prefix il- precedes a root word commencing with the letter l

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir:e2:o4:1
# text = The prefix il- precedes a root word commencing with the letter l
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	prefix	prefix	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	il	IL	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	3	punct	_	_
5	precedes	precede	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	root	root	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	commencing	commence	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	l	l	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **precede** | present | the prefix | a root word |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme word=Co-Theme |
| 2 | **commence** | gerund | a root word *not said here* |  |  |  |  | with the letter l | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with l=Subeventuality |

<!-- 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: [Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-,…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir/e1/)
- next →: [Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-,…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-, in-, im-, il-, ir-](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir/)