---
title: «lol writing was invented by one clever guy one day, like in the boo… — How writing began: from tally marks an… · tree and pragmatics
description: «lol writing was invented by one clever guy one day, like in the book» What is closer to the truth? Test 2 · ★★ 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 
---

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# Test 2 · ★★ · How writing began: from tally marks and pictures to the al…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«lol writing was invented by one clever guy one day, like in the book» What is closer to the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** one clever guy, book · **What happens:** invent, be · **To what, where:** lol writing

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This is test 2 · ★★ of lesson 82 «How writing began: from tally marks and pictures to the alphabet» of the history 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/history/82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet/#t2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:t2:1
# text = «lol writing was invented by one clever guy one day, like in the book» What is closer to the truth?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	lol	lol	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
8	clever	clever	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	guy	guy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	11	nummod	_	_
11	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	like	like	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
18	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	20	nsubj	_	_
19	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	cop	_	_
20	closer	close	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	16	amod	_	_
21	to	to	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **invent** *in a quote* | past · passive | one clever guy | lol writing |  |  | day |  | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Result |
| 2 | **is** | present | the book |  |  |  |  | to the truth; close *property* | 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A girl and her dad really did make it up in one day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:t2:o1:1
# text = A girl and her dad really did make it up in one day
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
4	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
6	really	really	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
7	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	up	up	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	13	nummod	_	_
13	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make up** | past · do-support | a girl and her dad | it |  |  | day |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme it=Pivot |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was invented by the Romans, who taught it to everyone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:t2:o2:1
# text = It was invented by the Romans, who taught it to everyone
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	Romans	Roman	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	obl:agent	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
9	taught	teach	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **invent** | past · passive | the Romans | It |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Result |
| 2 | **teach** *speech: other* | past |  | it | everyone |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent it=Topic to everyone=Recipient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
One Egyptian king invented every letter in a single year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:t2:o3:1
# text = One Egyptian king invented every letter in a single year
1	One	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	nummod	_	_
2	Egyptian	Egyptian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **invent** | participle | One Egyptian king | every letter |  |  | year |  | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Result |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It grew slowly over thousands of years, in several places

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:82-how-writing-began-from-tally-marks-and-pictures-to-the-alphabet:t2:o4:1
# text = It grew slowly over thousands of years, in several places
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	grew	grow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	over	over	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	thousands	thousand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	several	several	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	places	place	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | past | It |  |  | thousands of years |  | in several places; slowly *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme over thousand=Location |

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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.

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