---
title: Ascertain the course of action appropriate to a reader who encounter… — Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosi… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the course of action appropriate to a reader who encounters a letter team possessing two possible sounds. Exam question 2 of lesson 4 «Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the quest
---

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# Exam question 2 · Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the course of action appropriate to a reader who encounters a letter team possessing two possible sounds.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, reader, letter team · **What happens:** ascertain, encounter, possess · **To what, where:** course, letter team, two possible sounds

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 4 «Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling» 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/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:e2:1
# text = Ascertain the course of action appropriate to a reader who encounters a letter team possessing two possible sounds.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	appropriate	appropriate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	reader	reader	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	encounters	encounter	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
15	possessing	possess	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	acl	_	_
16	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	18	nummod	_	_
17	possible	possible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the course of action |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent course=Topic |
| 2 | **encounter** | present | a reader | a letter team |  |  |  |  | vn encounter-30.5 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer team=Stimulus |
| 3 | **possess** | gerund | a letter team *not said here* | two possible sounds |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot sound=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 -->
To omit the word entirely and continue reading

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:e2:o1:1
# text = To omit the word entirely and continue reading
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	omit	omit	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	entirely	entirely	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	continue	continue	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
8	reading	reading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **omit** | to-infinitive |  | the word |  |  |  | entirely *property* | vn exclude-107.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Theme |
| 2 | **continue** | infinitive |  | reading |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent reading=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To pronounce the team invariably in its more common manner, irrespective of the meaning of the sentence in which it stands

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:e2:o2:1
# text = To pronounce the team invariably in its more common manner, irrespective of the meaning of the sentence in which it stands
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	pronounce	pronounce	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
8	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	9	advmod	_	_
9	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	irrespective	irrespective	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
19	in	in	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	22	obl	_	_
21	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	nsubj	_	_
22	stands	stand	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pronounce** | to-infinitive |  | the team |  | team's common manner |  | of the meaning of the sentence; invariably *property* | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent team=Theme in manner=Manner |
| 2 | **stand** | present | team |  |  | the meaning of the sentence |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent in which=Location |
| 3 | **mean** |  |  | the sentence |  |  |  |  | nom meaning «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To attempt each sound in turn and retain that which yields a real word suited to the sentence

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:e2:o3:1
# text = To attempt each sound in turn and retain that which yields a real word suited to the sentence
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	attempt	attempt	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	turn	turn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	retain	retain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
9	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	yields	yield	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	ccomp	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
15	suited	suit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	acl	_	_
16	to	to	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **attempt** | to-infinitive |  | each sound |  | turn |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sound=Eventuality |
| 2 | **retain** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **yield** | present |  | a real word |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent word=Theme |
| 4 | **suit** | participle |  | a real word *not said here* |  |  |  | to the sentence | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To pronounce each letter of the team separately

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:e2:o4:1
# text = To pronounce each letter of the team separately
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	pronounce	pronounce	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	separately	separately	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pronounce** | to-infinitive |  | each letter of the team |  |  |  | separately *property* | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Theme |
| 2 | **letter** |  |  | the team |  |  |  |  | nom letter «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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**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.

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- ← previous: [Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosi…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/e1/)
- next →: [Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosi…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/)