---
title: It is given that the article les precedes the noun amis. Determine t… — Silent letters: why French doesn't say… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that the article les precedes the noun amis. Determine the pronunciation of the phrase thus formed. Exam question 4 of lesson 1 «Silent letters: why French doesn't say everything it writes» of the French course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the ques
---

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# Exam question 4 · Silent letters: why French doesn't say everything it writes

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that the article les precedes the noun amis. Determine the pronunciation of the phrase thus formed.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** article les, you, pronunciation · **What happens:** give, precede, determine, form, pronounce · **To what, where:** It, noun amis, phrase

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 1 «Silent letters: why French doesn't say everything it writes» of the French 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/french/1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes/#e4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that the article les precedes the noun amis.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:e4:1
# text = It is given that the article les precedes the noun amis.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	article	article	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	les	les	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	precedes	precede	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	noun	noun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	amis	ami	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **precede** | present | the article les | the noun amis |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme ami=Co-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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Determine the pronunciation of the phrase thus formed.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:e4:2
# text = Determine the pronunciation of the phrase thus formed.
1	Determine	determine	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	pronunciation	pronunciation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	phrase	phrase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	thus	thus	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	formed	form	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **form** | past | the pronunciation of the phrase |  |  |  |  | thus *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **pronounce** |  |  | the phrase |  |  |  |  | nom pronunciation «communication transitive»: of=patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"lay-za-MEE", the s being sounded as z by liaison

<!-- fold The tree, 11 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:e4:o1:1
# text = "lay-za-MEE", the s being sounded as z by liaison
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	lay	lay	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	za	za	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	MEE	MEE	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	sounded	sound	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
13	as	as	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	z	z	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	liaison	liaison	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** *in a quote* | imperative | you *not said here* | za |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent za=Result |
| 2 | **sound** | gerund · passive | liaison | the s |  |  |  | as z | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location subject=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"lay a-MEE", the s remaining entirely silent

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:e4:o2:1
# text = "lay a-MEE", the s remaining entirely silent
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	lay	lay	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	MEE	MEE	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	remaining	remain	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
11	entirely	entirely	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** *in a quote* | imperative | you *not said here* | a MEE |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mee=Result |
| 2 | **remain** | gerund | the s |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"lez-AM-iss", in the English manner

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:e4:o3:1
# text = "lez-AM-iss", in the English manner
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	lez	lez	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	AM	a.m.	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	iss	ISS	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	English	English	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"less a-MEES", both terminal letters being sounded

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:e4:o4:1
# text = "less a-MEES", both terminal letters being sounded
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	less	less	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	5	advmod	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	MEES	MEES	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
9	terminal	terminal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
11	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	sounded	sound	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sound** | gerund · passive |  | both terminal letters *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute» |

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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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