---
title: Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning… — How writing began: from tally marks an… · tree and pragmatics
description: Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the Phoenicians. Exam question 3 of lesson 82 «How writing began: from tally marks and pictures to the alphabet» of the history course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each op
---

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# Exam question 3 · How writing began: from tally marks and pictures to the al…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the Phoenicians.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, established facts · **What happens:** select, establish, concern · **To what, where:** response, Phoenicians

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 82 «How writing began: from tally marks and pictures to the alphabet» of the history 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/history/82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:e3:1
# text = Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the Phoenicians.
1	Select	select	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	xcomp	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	established	establish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
9	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	Phoenicians	Phoenician	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **select** | imperative | you *not said here* | the response |  |  |  | consistent *property* | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent response=Theme |
| 2 | **establish** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **concern** | gerund | the established facts *not said here* | the Phoenicians |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus phoenician=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were seafaring merchants of the eastern Mediterranean who disseminated a consonantal alphabet

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:e3:o1:1
# text = They were seafaring merchants of the eastern Mediterranean who disseminated a consonantal alphabet
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	seafaring	seafaring	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	merchants	merchant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	eastern	eastern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	Mediterranean	Mediterranean	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	disseminated	disseminate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	consonantal	consonantal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	alphabet	alphabet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | seafaring merchants |  |  |  | of the eastern Mediterranean | tree rules |
| 2 | **disseminate** | past | seafaring merchants | a consonantal alphabet |  |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2-1 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent alphabet=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were the inventors of the pyramids, who wrote solely by means of hieroglyphs

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:e3:o2:1
# text = They were the inventors of the pyramids, who wrote solely by means of hieroglyphs
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	inventors	inventor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	pyramids	pyramid	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	wrote	write	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
11	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	obl	_	_
13	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	hieroglyphs	hieroglyph	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | the inventors |  |  |  | of the pyramids | tree rules |
| 2 | **write** | past | the inventors |  |  |  |  | solely *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **mean** | present | the inventors |  |  |  |  | of hieroglyphs | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were a people of China who invented paper

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:e3:o3:1
# text = They were a people of China who invented paper
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	China	China	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
8	invented	invent	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
9	paper	paper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | a people |  |  |  | of China | tree rules |
| 2 | **invent** | past | a people | paper |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent paper=Result |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were Roman soldiers who brought writing to Britain

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:e3:o4:1
# text = They were Roman soldiers who brought writing to Britain
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	Roman	roman	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	soldiers	soldier	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	brought	bring	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	writing	write	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	xcomp	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | Roman soldiers |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **bring** | past | Roman soldiers |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **write** | gerund | Roman soldiers *not said here* |  | Britain |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to britain=Recipient |

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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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