---
title: A boomer teacher says "To whom it may concern" is the only way to st… — Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who · tree and pragmatics
description: A boomer teacher says "To whom it may concern" is the only way to start every letter. Do you need "whom" in a note to your mate? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 5 «Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who/t7/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[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/) / [Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who/) / t7

# Test 7 · ★ · Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A boomer teacher says "To whom it may concern" is the only way to start every letter. Do you need "whom" in a note to your mate?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** boomer teacher, teacher, you · **What happens:** say, concern, be, start, need · **To what, where:** only way, letter, note · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 5 «Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who» 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/5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A boomer teacher says "To whom it may concern" is the only way to start every letter.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who:t7:1
# text = A boomer teacher says "To whom it may concern" is the only way to start every letter.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	boomer	boomer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	To	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	15	nsubj	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	concern	concern	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	ccomp	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	start	start	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	acl	_	_
18	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	19	det	_	_
19	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a boomer teacher |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **concern** *in a quote* | may | teacher |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | present |  | the only way |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **start** | to-infinitive | a boomer teacher *not said here* | every letter |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Eventuality |

<!-- .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:* Do you need "whom" in a note to your mate?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who:t7:2
# text = Do you need "whom" in a note to your mate?
1	Do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	note	note	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present · do-support | you |  |  | a note to your mate |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot whom=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, "whom" is needed in every sentence

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who:t7:o1:1
# text = Yes, "whom" is needed in every sentence
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	needed	need	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present · passive |  |  |  | every sentence |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: subject=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, use "whomst" instead

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who:t7:o2:1
# text = No, use "whomst" instead
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	3	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	whomst	whomst	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	instead	instead	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | imperative | you *not said here* | whomst |  |  |  | instead *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent whomst=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, in everyday speech "who" is fine

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who:t7:o3:1
# text = No, in everyday speech "who" is fine
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	10	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	everyday	everyday	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	5	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, or the letter is illegal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who:t7:o4:1
# text = Yes, or the letter is illegal
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
3	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	illegal	illegal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

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

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who/t6/)
- next →: [Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who/t8/)
- ↑ back to [Pronouns: I, me, you, they and who](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/5-pronouns-i-me-you-they-and-who/)