--- title: Your mate goes "silent letters were invented just to annoy kids, no… — Silent letters and the mystery of -ough · tree and pragmatics description: Your mate goes "silent letters were invented just to annoy kids, no cap." What's the truth? Test 1 of lesson 13 «Silent letters and the mystery of -ough» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was rig --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough/t1/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/) / [Silent letters and the mystery of -ough](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough/) / t1 # Test 1 · Silent letters and the mystery of -ough Your mate goes "silent letters were invented just to annoy kids, no cap." What's the truth? **Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** mate, truth · **What happens:** go, invent, annoy, be · **To what, where:** silent letters, kids This is test 1 of lesson 13 «Silent letters and the mystery of -ough» of the language 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/language/13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough/#t1). ## The question {#question} *Sentence 1:* Your mate goes "silent letters were invented just to annoy kids, no cap." ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough:t1:1 # text = Your mate goes "silent letters were invented just to annoy kids, no cap." 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 goes go VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 4 " " PUNCT `` _ 8 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 5 silent silent ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 6 amod _ _ 6 letters letter NOUN NNS Number=Plur 8 nsubj:pass _ _ 7 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 8 aux:pass _ _ 8 invented invent VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 3 conj _ _ 9 just just ADV RB _ 11 advmod _ _ 10 to to PART TO _ 11 mark _ _ 11 annoy annoy VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 8 advcl _ _ 12 kids kid NOUN NNS Number=Plur 11 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 13 , , PUNCT , _ 15 punct _ _ 14 no no DET DT PronType=Neg 15 det _ _ 15 cap cap NOUN NN Number=Sing 12 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 16 . . PUNCT . _ 3 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 17 " " PUNCT '' _ 3 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **go** | present | Your mate | | | | | | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 2 | **invent** *in a quote* | past · passive | | silent letters | | | | | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Result | | 3 | **annoy** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | | kids and no cap | | | | | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus kid=Experiencer | 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. *Sentence 2:* What's the truth? ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough:t1:2 # text = What's the truth? 1 What what PRON WP PronType=Int 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 2 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 1 cop _ _ 3 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 4 det _ _ 4 truth truth NOUN NN Number=Sing 1 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 5 ? ? PUNCT . _ 1 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | the truth | | | | | | tree rules | ## The options {#options} ### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1} Most are old sounds that wore away, and a few were added to look like Latin ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough:t1:o1:1 # text = Most are old sounds that wore away, and a few were added to look like Latin 1 Most most ADJ JJS Degree=Sup 4 amod _ _ 2 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 4 cop _ _ 3 old old ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 4 amod _ _ 4 sounds sound NOUN NNS Number=Plur 0 root _ _ 5 that that PRON WDT PronType=Rel 6 nsubj _ _ 6 wore wear VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 4 acl:relcl _ _ 7 away away ADV RB _ 6 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 8 , , PUNCT , _ 13 punct _ _ 9 and and CCONJ CC _ 13 cc _ _ 10 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 11 det _ _ 11 few few ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 13 nsubj:pass _ _ 12 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 13 aux:pass _ _ 13 added add VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 4 conj _ _ 14 to to PART TO _ 15 mark _ _ 15 look look VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 13 advcl _ _ 16 like like ADP IN _ 17 case _ _ 17 Latin Latin PROPN NNP Number=Sing 15 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | | Most old sounds | | | | | tree rules | | 2 | **wear away** | past | Most old sounds | | | | | away *property* | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V PP-Conative»: agent=Agent | | 3 | **add** *speech: assert* | past · passive | | a few | | | | | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient | | 4 | **look** | to-infinitive | | | | | | like Latin | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus | ### Option 2 {#o2} He's right, they were all added just for school spelling tests ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough:t1:o2:1 # text = He's right, they were all added just for school spelling tests 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 3 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 2 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 3 cop _ _ 3 right right ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 4 , , PUNCT , _ 8 punct _ _ 5 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 8 nsubj:pass _ _ 6 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 8 aux:pass _ _ 7 all all ADV RB _ 8 advmod _ _ 8 added add VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 3 parataxis _ _ 9 just just ADV RB _ 13 advmod _ _ 10 for for ADP IN _ 13 case _ _ 11 school school NOUN NN Number=Sing 12 compound _ _ 12 spelling spelling NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 compound _ _ 13 tests test NOUN NNS Number=Plur 8 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is** | present | He | | | | | right *property* | tree rules | | 2 | **add** *speech: assert* | past · passive | | they | | | | for spelling tests; all *property* | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient | ### Option 3 {#o3} They are spoken in posh accents ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough:t1:o3:1 # text = They are spoken in posh accents 1 They they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 3 nsubj _ _ 2 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 3 aux:pass _ _ 3 spoken speak VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 0 root _ _ 4 in in ADP IN _ 6 case _ _ 5 posh posh ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 6 amod _ _ 6 accents accent NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **speak** *speech: other* | present · passive | | They | | posh accents | | | tree rules | ### Option 4 {#o4} They were all printing mistakes ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough:t1:o4:1 # text = They were all printing mistakes 1 They they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 5 nsubj _ _ 2 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 cop _ _ 3 all all DET DT PronType=Tot 5 det _ _ 4 printing printing NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 compound _ _ 5 mistakes mistake NOUN NNS Number=Plur 0 root _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | past | They | all printing mistakes | | | | | tree rules | **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. - ← previous: [Spelling traps: their, there, they're…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre/e4/) - next →: [Silent letters and the mystery of -ough, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough/t2/) - ↑ back to [Silent letters and the mystery of -ough](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough/)