Test 1 · ★★★ · How to argue: counter-arguments and respect
My brother says changing your mind in an argument means you lost. Put him right.
Mova's choice: option 4 · The right answer: option 4 · right ✓ · Who acts: brother, changing, you, your · What happens: say, change, mean, lose, mind, put · To what, where: mind, argument, brother · Speech: someone speaks here
This is test 1 · ★★★ of lesson 40 «How to argue: counter-arguments and respect» of the religion ethics 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: My brother says changing your mind in an argument means you lost.
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | My | my | PRON | Case=Gen Number=Sing Person=1 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs | 2 brother | nmod:poss |
| 2 | brother | brother | NOUN | Number=Sing | 3 says | nsubj |
| 3 | says | say | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 4 | changing | change | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 10 means | csubj |
| 5 | your | your | PRON | Case=Gen Person=2 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs | 6 mind | nmod:poss |
| 6 | mind | mind | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 changing | obj |
| 7 | in | in | ADP | _ | 9 argument | case |
| 8 | an | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 9 argument | det |
| 9 | argument | argument | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 changing | obl |
| 10 | means | mean | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 3 says | ccomp |
| 11 | you | you | PRON | Case=Nom Person=2 PronType=Prs | 12 lost | nsubj |
| 12 | lost | lose | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=2 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 10 means | ccomp |
| 13 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 3 says | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | say speech: assert | present | My brother | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | |||||
| 2 | change | gerund | your mind | a argument | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient | ||||
| 3 | mean | present | changing | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | |||||
| 4 | lose | past | you | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | |||||
| 5 | mind | your | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |
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: Put him right.
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Put | put | VERB | Mood=Imp VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 2 | him | he | PRON | Case=Acc Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 1 Put | obj |
| 3 | right | right | ADV | _ | 1 Put | advmod |
| 4 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 1 Put | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | put | imperative | you not said here | brother | right property | vn invest-13.5.4-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent he=Goal |
The options
Option 1
Yes, a strong thinker never changes their mind about anything
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | yes | INTJ | Polarity=Pos | 7 changes | discourse |
| 2 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 1 Yes | punct |
| 3 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 5 thinker | det |
| 4 | strong | strong | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 5 thinker | amod |
| 5 | thinker | thinker | NOUN | Number=Sing | 7 changes | nsubj |
| 6 | never | never | ADV | PronType=Neg | 7 changes | advmod |
| 7 | changes | change | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 8 | their | their | PRON | Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs | 9 mind | nmod:poss |
| 9 | mind | mind | NOUN | Number=Sing | 7 changes | obj |
| 10 | about | about | ADP | _ | 11 anything | case |
| 11 | anything | anything | PRON | Number=Sing PronType=Ind | 7 changes | obl |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | not change | present | a strong thinker | their mind | about anything | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient | |||
| 2 | mind | their = they | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |
Option 2
No, changing your mind only counts if a teacher tells you to
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No | no | INTJ | Polarity=Neg | 3 changing | discourse |
| 2 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 3 changing | punct |
| 3 | changing | change | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 7 counts | csubj |
| 4 | your | your | PRON | Case=Gen Person=2 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs | 5 mind | nmod:poss |
| 5 | mind | mind | NOUN | Number=Sing | 3 changing | obj |
| 6 | only | only | ADV | _ | 7 counts | advmod |
| 7 | counts | count | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 8 | if | if | SCONJ | _ | 11 tells | mark |
| 9 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 10 teacher | det |
| 10 | teacher | teacher | NOUN | Number=Sing | 11 tells | nsubj |
| 11 | tells | tell | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 7 counts | advcl |
| 12 | you | you | PRON | Case=Acc Person=2 PronType=Prs | 11 tells | iobj |
| 13 | to | to | PART | _ | 11 tells | xcomp |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | change | gerund | your mind | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient | |||||
| 2 | count | present | changing | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus | |||||
| 3 | tell speech: assert a condition, not said to happen | present | a teacher | you | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent you=Recipient | ||||
| 4 | mind | your | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |
Option 3
Yes, whoever changes their mind first has lost the argument
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | yes | INTJ | Polarity=Pos | 4 changes | discourse |
| 2 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 4 changes | punct |
| 3 | whoever | whoever | PRON | PronType=Rel | 4 changes | nsubj |
| 4 | changes | change | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 9 lost | advcl |
| 5 | their | their | PRON | Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs | 6 mind | nmod:poss |
| 6 | mind | mind | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 changes | obj |
| 7 | first | first | ADV | NumForm=Word NumType=Ord | 9 lost | advmod |
| 8 | has | have | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 9 lost | aux |
| 9 | lost | lose | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part | root | root |
| 10 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 11 argument | det |
| 11 | argument | argument | NOUN | Number=Sing | 9 lost | obj |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | change | present | whoever | their mind | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient | ||||
| 2 | lose | present · perfect | the argument | first property | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent argument=Eventuality | ||||
| 3 | mind | their = they | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |
Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer
Changing your mind for a better reason is a strength, not losing
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Changing | change | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 10 strength | csubj |
| 2 | your | your | PRON | Case=Gen Person=2 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs | 3 mind | nmod:poss |
| 3 | mind | mind | NOUN | Number=Sing | 1 Changing | obj |
| 4 | for | for | ADP | _ | 7 reason | case |
| 5 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 7 reason | det |
| 6 | better | good | ADJ | Degree=Cmp | 7 reason | amod |
| 7 | reason | reason | NOUN | Number=Sing | 1 Changing | obl |
| 8 | is | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 10 strength | cop |
| 9 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 10 strength | det |
| 10 | strength | strength | NOUN | Number=Sing | root | root |
| 11 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 13 losing | punct |
| 12 | not | not | PART | Polarity=Neg | 13 losing | advmod |
| 13 | losing | lose | VERB | Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part | 10 strength | conj |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | change | gerund | your mind | for a better reason | vn exchange-13.6.1 «NP V NP PP.co-theme»: agent=Agent mind=Theme for reason=Co-Theme | ||||
| 2 | is a | present | Changing | a strength | tree rules | ||||
| 3 | not lose | gerund | Changing not said here | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | |||||
| 4 | mind | your | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |
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.
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/t1/