---
title: «nite» is on a shop sign. Sadie's mum says «see, it's spelled nite».… — Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosi… · tree and pragmatics
description: «nite» is on a shop sign. Sadie's mum says «see, it's spelled nite». What is true? Test 4 · ★ 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 question and of each option; Mova's choice 
---

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# Test 4 · ★ · Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«nite» is on a shop sign. Sadie's mum says «see, it's spelled nite». What is true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** nite, mum · **What happens:** be, say, see, spell · **To what, where:** shop sign, nite · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ of lesson 4 «Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling» 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/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «nite» is on a shop sign.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:1
# text = «nite» is on a shop sign.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	nite	nite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | nite |  |  | a shop sign |  |  | 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:* Sadie's mum says «see, it's spelled nite».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:2
# text = Sadie's mum says «see, it's spelled nite».
1	Sadie	Sadie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	spelled	spell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	ccomp	_	_
11	nite	nite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Sadie's mum |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **see** *in a quote* | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **spell** *in a quote* | present · passive |  | nite |  |  |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP ADVP»: subject=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:3
# text = What is true?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both spellings are fine in school work

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:o1:1
# text = Both spellings are fine in school work
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	spellings	spelling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | both spellings |  |  | school work |  | fine *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«nite» is the British spelling, «night» the American

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:o2:1
# text = «nite» is the British spelling, «night» the American
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	nite	nite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	British	British	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	spelling	spelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	American	American	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	parataxis	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The sign is right and «night» is old-fashioned

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:o3:1
# text = The sign is right and «night» is old-fashioned
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
6	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	fashioned	fashioned	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the sign |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | night |  |  |  |  | fashioned *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Signs can use playful spellings; the real word is «night»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling:t4:o4:1
# text = Signs can use playful spellings; the real word is «night»
1	Signs	sign	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	use	use	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	playful	playful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	spellings	spelling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | can | Signs | playful spellings |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spelling=Patient |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | the real word | night |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosi…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/t3/)
- next →: [Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosi…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/t5/)
- ↑ 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/)