---
title: Jade whispers, "it's French, they don't say the s, you plonker." ("P… — Silent letters: why French doesn't say… · tree and pragmatics
description: Jade whispers, "it's French, they don't say the s, you plonker." ("Plonker" means a silly person.) Is Jade right about Paris? Test 1 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
---

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# Test 1 · Silent letters: why French doesn't say everything it writes

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Jade whispers, "it's French, they don't say the s, you plonker." ("Plonker" means a silly person.) Is Jade right about Paris?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Jade, they, you, Plonker · **What happens:** whisper, be, not say, plonker, mean · **To what, where:** French, s, silly person · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 of lesson 1 «Silent letters: why French doesn't say everything it writes» of the French 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/french/1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Jade whispers, "it's French, they don't say the s, you plonker."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:1
# text = Jade whispers, "it's French, they don't say the s, you plonker."
1	Jade	jade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	whispers	whisper	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
10	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	parataxis	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	plonker	plonker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **whisper** *speech: assert* | present | Jade |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | Jade | French |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present · do-support | they | the s |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent s=Topic |
| 4 | **plonker** *in a quote* |  | you |  |  |  |  |  | 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:* ("Plonker" means a silly person.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:2
# text = ("Plonker" means a silly person.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Plonker	plonker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	means	mean	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	silly	silly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Plonker | a silly person |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent person=Topic |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Is Jade right about Paris?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:3
# text = Is Jade right about Paris?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	Jade	Jade	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	Paris	Paris	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, the final s in Paris is silent

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:o1:1
# text = Yes, the final s in Paris is silent
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	final	final	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	Paris	Paris	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the s is silent only in English

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:o2:1
# text = No, the s is silent only in English
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	only	only	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only on Mondays in France

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:o3:1
# text = Yes, but only on Mondays in France
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Mondays	Monday	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	France	France	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, every letter is said in French

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t1:o4:1
# text = No, every letter is said in French
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	said	say	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present · passive |  | every letter |  | French |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: subject=Theme in french=Manner |

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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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