---
title: Identify the principal deficiency of copying a word repeatedly witho… — How to learn spellings that stick · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal deficiency of copying a word repeatedly without verification. Exam question 1 of lesson 15 «How to learn spellings that stick» 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.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/e1/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/) / [How to learn spellings that stick](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/) / e1

# Exam question 1 · How to learn spellings that stick

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal deficiency of copying a word repeatedly without verification.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, principal deficiency · **What happens:** identify, copy · **To what, where:** principal deficiency, word

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 15 «How to learn spellings that stick» 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/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal deficiency of copying a word repeatedly without verification.
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	deficiency	deficiency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	copying	copy	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	acl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	repeatedly	repeatedly	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
10	without	without	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	verification	verification	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal deficiency |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent deficiency=Theme |
| 2 | **copy** | gerund | the principal deficiency *not said here* | a word |  |  |  | without verification; repeatedly *property* | vn scribble-25.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=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 hand of the pupil is thereby rendered too fatigued

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick:e1:o1:1
# text = The hand of the pupil is thereby rendered too fatigued
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	pupil	pupil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
7	thereby	thereby	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	rendered	render	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	too	too	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	fatigued	fatigue	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **render** | present · passive |  | the hand of the pupil |  |  |  | thereby *property* | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **fatigue** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No deficiency whatever attends the practice, which is the most efficient method known

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick:e1:o2:1
# text = No deficiency whatever attends the practice, which is the most efficient method known
1	No	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	2	det	_	_
2	deficiency	deficiency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	whatever	whatever	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
4	attends	attend	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	practice	practice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
8	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
11	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	12	advmod	_	_
12	efficient	efficient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	method	method	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
14	known	know	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **attend** | present | whatever | the practice and the efficient method |  |  |  |  | vn attend-107.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme practice=Goal |
| 2 | **is a** | present | the practice and the efficient method | the efficient method |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **know** | participle |  | the efficient method *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The word is thereby rendered too familiar to be remembered

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick:e1:o3:1
# text = The word is thereby rendered too familiar to be remembered
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
4	thereby	thereby	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	rendered	render	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	too	too	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	familiar	familiar	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
9	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	remembered	remember	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **render** | present · passive |  | the word |  |  |  | familiar, thereby *property* | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **remember** | to-infinitive · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING» |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An erroneous spelling may thereby be practised and reinforced

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick:e1:o4:1
# text = An erroneous spelling may thereby be practised and reinforced
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	erroneous	erroneous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	spelling	spelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
5	thereby	thereby	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	practised	practise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	reinforced	reinforce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **practise** | may · passive |  | a erroneous spelling |  |  |  | thereby *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **reinforce** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn support-15.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [How to learn spellings that stick, test 12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/t12/)
- next →: [How to learn spellings that stick, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/e2/)
- ↑ back to [How to learn spellings that stick](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/)