Test 4 · Formal and informal: a mate versus the head teacher A boomer neighbour says "kids today can't write a proper letter." Your sister writes to the council about the swings. Which opening is best?
Mova's choice: option 1 · The right answer: option 4 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: boomer neighbour, kids, sister, opening · What happens: say, not write, write, be · To what, where: proper letter, council · Speech: someone speaks here
This is test 4 of lesson 16 «Formal and informal: a mate versus the head teacher» 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 .
The question Sentence 1: A boomer neighbour says "kids today can't write a proper letter."
det compound nsubj punct nsubj obl:unmarked aux advmod ccomp det amod obj punct punct root A DET boomer NOUN neighbour NOUN says VERB " PUNCT kids NOUN today NOUN ca AUX n't PART write VERB a DET proper ADJ letter NOUN . PUNCT " PUNCT The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 A a DET Definite=Ind PronType=Art 3 neighbour det 2 boomer boomer NOUN Number=Sing 3 neighbour compound 3 neighbour neighbour NOUN Number=Sing 4 says nsubj 4 says say VERB Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin root root 5 " " PUNCT _ 10 write punct 6 kids kid NOUN Number=Plur 10 write nsubj 7 today today NOUN Number=Sing 10 write obl:unmarked 8 ca can AUX VerbForm=Fin 10 write aux 9 n't not PART Polarity=Neg 10 write advmod 10 write write VERB VerbForm=Inf 4 says ccomp 11 a a DET Definite=Ind PronType=Art 13 letter det 12 proper proper ADJ Degree=Pos 13 letter amod 13 letter letter NOUN Number=Sing 10 write obj 14 . . PUNCT _ 10 write punct 15 " " PUNCT _ 10 write punct
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 say speech: assert present a boomer neighbour vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic 2 not write in a quote can kids a proper letter today vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Theme
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: Your sister writes to the council about the swings.
nmod:poss nsubj case det obl case det nmod punct root Your PRON sister NOUN writes VERB to ADP the DET council NOUN about ADP the DET swings NOUN . PUNCT The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 Your your PRON Case=Gen Person=2 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs 2 sister nmod:poss 2 sister sister NOUN Number=Sing 3 writes nsubj 3 writes write VERB Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin root root 4 to to ADP _ 6 council case 5 the the DET Definite=Def PronType=Art 6 council det 6 council council NOUN Number=Sing 3 writes obl 7 about about ADP _ 9 swings case 8 the the DET Definite=Def PronType=Art 9 swings det 9 swings swing NOUN Number=Plur 6 council nmod 10 . . PUNCT _ 3 writes punct
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 write present Your sister the council about the swings vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to council=Recipient
Sentence 3: Which opening is best?
det nsubj cop punct root Which DET opening NOUN is AUX best ADJ ? PUNCT The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 Which which DET PronType=Int 2 opening det 2 opening opening NOUN Number=Sing 4 best nsubj 3 is be AUX Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin 4 best cop 4 best good ADJ Degree=Sup root root 5 ? ? PUNCT _ 4 best punct
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 is present which opening good property tree rules
The options Option 1 · ← Mova's choice Oi, sort them swings out, they're well dead, yeah?
nsubj punct nsubj ccomp compound:prt punct nsubj cop advmod parataxis punct discourse punct root Oi NOUN , PUNCT sort VERB them PRON swings VERB out ADP , PUNCT they PRON 're AUX well ADV dead ADJ , PUNCT yeah INTJ ? PUNCT The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 Oi oi NOUN Number=Plur 3 sort nsubj 2 , , PUNCT _ 1 Oi punct 3 sort sort VERB Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin root root 4 them they PRON Case=Acc Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs 5 swings nsubj 5 swings swing VERB Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin 3 sort ccomp 6 out out ADP _ 5 swings compound:prt 7 , , PUNCT _ 11 dead punct 8 they they PRON Case=Nom Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs 11 dead nsubj 9 're be AUX Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin 11 dead cop 10 well well ADV Degree=Pos 11 dead advmod 11 dead dead ADJ Degree=Pos 3 sort parataxis 12 , , PUNCT _ 11 dead punct 13 yeah yeah INTJ _ 3 sort discourse 14 ? ? PUNCT _ 3 sort punct
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 sort present Oi tree rules 2 swing out present Oi vn calibratable_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute 3 is present Oi dead, well property tree rules
Option 2 Hello council, the swings, you know what I mean, ok?
discourse appos punct det conj punct nsubj obj nsubj ccomp punct discourse punct root Hello INTJ council NOUN , PUNCT the DET swings NOUN , PUNCT you PRON know VERB what PRON I PRON mean VERB , PUNCT ok INTJ ? PUNCT The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 Hello hello INTJ _ 8 know discourse 2 council council NOUN Number=Sing 1 Hello appos 3 , , PUNCT _ 5 swings punct 4 the the DET Definite=Def PronType=Art 5 swings det 5 swings swing NOUN Number=Plur 2 council conj 6 , , PUNCT _ 8 know punct 7 you you PRON Case=Nom Person=2 PronType=Prs 8 know nsubj 8 know know VERB Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=2 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin root root 9 what what PRON PronType=Int 11 mean obj 10 I I PRON Case=Nom Number=Sing Person=1 PronType=Prs 11 mean nsubj 11 mean mean VERB Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=1 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin 8 know ccomp 12 , , PUNCT _ 8 know punct 13 ok ok INTJ _ 8 know discourse 14 ? ? PUNCT _ 8 know punct
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 know present you vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V how S_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus 2 mean present I vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic
Option 3 To whom it may concern, ur swings r broke, fix them
mark nsubj nsubj aux advcl punct nmod:poss appos advmod acl:relcl punct obj root To PART whom PRON it PRON may AUX concern NOUN , PUNCT ur PRON swings NOUN r ADV broke VERB , PUNCT fix VERB them PRON The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 To to PART _ 5 concern mark 2 whom whom PRON PronType=Rel 5 concern nsubj 3 it it PRON Case=Nom Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs 5 concern nsubj 4 may may AUX VerbForm=Fin 5 concern aux 5 concern concern NOUN Number=Sing 12 fix advcl 6 , , PUNCT _ 8 swings punct 7 ur your PRON Abbr=Yes Case=Gen Person=2 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs 8 swings nmod:poss 8 swings swing NOUN Number=Plur 5 concern appos 9 r r ADV _ 10 broke advmod 10 broke break VERB Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin 8 swings acl:relcl 11 , , PUNCT _ 5 concern punct 12 fix fix VERB Mood=Imp VerbForm=Fin root root 13 them they PRON Case=Acc Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs 12 fix obj
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 concern may tree rules 2 break past ur's swings not said here vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient 3 fix imperative you not said here swings = swing vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent they=Patient 4 swing ur nom swing «state intransitive»: poss=agent
Option 4 · ✓ the right answer I am writing about the broken swings in Oak Park.
nsubj aux case det amod obl case compound nmod punct root I PRON am AUX writing VERB about ADP the DET broken VERB swings NOUN in ADP Oak PROPN Park PROPN . PUNCT The words, one row each (CoNLL-U) # word lemma UPOS features head relation 1 I I PRON Case=Nom Number=Sing Person=1 PronType=Prs 3 writing nsubj 2 am be AUX Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=1 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin 3 writing aux 3 writing write VERB Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part root root 4 about about ADP _ 7 swings case 5 the the DET Definite=Def PronType=Art 7 swings det 6 broken break VERB Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass 7 swings amod 7 swings swing NOUN Number=Plur 3 writing obl 8 in in ADP _ 10 Park case 9 Oak Oak PROPN Number=Sing 10 Park compound 10 Park Park PROPN Number=Sing 7 swings nmod 11 . . PUNCT _ 3 writing punct
# verb tense, mood who what, whom to whom where when other roles by
1 write present · progressive I about the broken swings in Oak Park vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about swing=Topic 2 break participle vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient
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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