---
title: Your mate reckons, "Every last letter in French is silent, so neuf i… — Silent letters: why French doesn't say… · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate reckons, "Every last letter in French is silent, so neuf is 'neu' and bonjour is 'bonjou'." What is wrong? Test 3 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 question
---

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# Test 3 · Silent letters: why French doesn't say everything it writes

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate reckons, "Every last letter in French is silent, so neuf is 'neu' and bonjour is 'bonjou'." What is wrong?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, last letter, neuf, bonjour · **What happens:** reckon, be · **To what, where:** neu, bonjou · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 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/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate reckons, "Every last letter in French is silent, so neuf is 'neu' and bonjour is 'bonjou'."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t3:1
# text = Your mate reckons, "Every last letter in French is silent, so neuf is 'neu' and bonjour is 'bonjou'."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	reckons	reckon	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	det	_	_
7	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
14	so	so	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
15	neuf	neuf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj	_	_
16	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
17	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	neu	neu	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	_
20	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
21	bonjour	bonjour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	nsubj	_	_
22	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	24	cop	_	_
23	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	bonjou	bonjou	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	24	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reckon** | present | Your mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | every last letter in French |  |  |  |  | silent *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | neuf | neu and bonjou |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | bonjour | bonjou |  |  |  |  | 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:* What is wrong?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t3:2
# text = What is wrong?
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	wrong	wrong	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 |  |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Those words drop their first letter, not their last

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t3:o1:1
# text = Those words drop their first letter, not their last
1	Those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	drop	drop	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
5	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	6	amod	_	_
6	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
9	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **drop** | present | that words | words's first letter |  |  |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Theme |
| 2 | **letter** |  | words *= word* |  |  |  |  |  | nom letter «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only the last letter of names is silent in French

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t3:o2:1
# text = Only the last letter of names is silent in French
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the last letter of names |  |  | French |  | silent *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **letter** |  |  | names |  |  |  |  | nom letter «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
f and r are CaReFuL letters, so they are usually said

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t3:o3:1
# text = f and r are CaReFuL letters, so they are usually said
1	f	f	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	r	r	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	conj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	CaReFuL	careful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
9	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
10	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
11	usually	usually	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	said	say	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | f and r | CaReFuL letters |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present · passive |  | f |  |  |  | usually *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: subject=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing, that is exactly how the French say them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:1-silent-letters-why-french-doesnt-say-everything-it-writes:t3:o4:1
# text = Nothing, that is exactly how the French say them
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	nsubj	_	_
9	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
10	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | that |  |  |  |  | exactly, how *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the French | them *= they* |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent they=Topic |

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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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