MovaImperatives and polite requests
Tests: 3 of 11 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: plain · Understood: 3 of 15 · Run: 2026-11-05, commit 610eccd1d
Lesson 1 of the commands course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose.
Test 1 · right ✓
Your mate at the chippy: "can u pass the ketchup". What's the right answer?
- 1. Pass him the ketchup — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Point to where it is — no support
- 3. Say "my arms work fine, ta" — no support
- 4. Say "yeah, I can" — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 2 · wrong ✗
Teacher by the board: "Right. Pencils. Down." What does she want?
- 1. Someone to pick a pencil up off the floor — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Nothing; it isn't a full sentence — no support
- 3. All the pencils passed down to the back — no support
- 4. Every pencil put down on the desk now — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 3 · wrong ✗
A friend says, "if they don't say please it doesn't count as an order, innit." Is he right?
- 1. No, but only adults' orders count at all — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Yes, please is what makes it a real order — no support
- 3. No, an order counts with or without please — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Yes, without please you can just ignore it — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 4 · right ✓
Your Gen Z cousin: "bestie, lowkey need you to grab my charger rn, no cap." What is she asking?
- 1. Bring her the charger now — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Buy her a new one tomorrow — no support
- 3. Charge your own phone later — no support
- 4. Say if you've seen a charger — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 5 · wrong ✗
An Aussie mum: "be a sweetheart and chuck your togs on the line, they're dripping." What does she want?
- 1. Swimming costume thrown at the line for fun — ← Mova's choice · score 10
- 2. Swimming costume put back on to dry it off — score 8
- 3. Wet swimming costume hung on the washing line — ✓ the right answer · score 10
- 4. Dripping towels thrown out in the wheelie bin — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 10, tied with another option at 10 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1, line 17: «In the UK the "boot" of a car is the US "trunk"; "chuck" means throw; in Australia "togs" are a swimming costume.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+6); the same thing acted on «swimming costume» (+4). The right option, 3, scored 10.
Test 6 · wrong ✗
Gran: "can you give us a hand with these bags?" Your little brother holds out his hand to her. What did he get wrong?
- 1. Nothing; he did exactly what she said — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. She wanted help carrying, not his hand — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. She only wanted him to wave hello — no support
- 4. He should have held out both his hands — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 7 · wrong ✗
You're halfway through a level when Dad shouts, "Mia, come and hold the ladder, NOW." What is the sensible order?
- 1. Finish the level, then go to Dad — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Pause the game, then go to Dad — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Ignore it, as he didn't say please — no support
- 4. Say "never interrupt me!" and play on — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 8 · wrong ✗
Mum is telling a story when Dad cuts in: "sorry, love, pan's boiling over, someone turn it down." Was Dad rude?
- 1. No, but only because he remembered to say "love" — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Yes, you must never interrupt anybody at all — no support
- 3. No, a pan boiling over is a good reason to cut in — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Yes, he should have waited till the story ended — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 9 · right ✓
Auntie in Cork: "ah, would you ever stick the kettle on, pet?" What does she want?
- 1. You to say "never", as you haven't yet — no support
- 2. A sticker stuck on the side of the kettle — no support
- 3. To know if you have ever boiled a kettle — score 8
- 4. The kettle put on to boil, asked nicely — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 14
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 14, against 8 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1, line 14: «"Be a love and…" is a friendly command, and "put the kettle on" means boil water for tea.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+6); the same action «put on» (+4); the same thing acted on «kettle» (+4).
Test 10 · wrong ✗
Teacher: "Year 5, line up at the door. Year 6, stay in your seats." You're in Year 6. What do you do?
- 1. Line up at the door — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Line up behind Year 5 — no support
- 3. Stand by your chair — no support
- 4. Stay in your seat — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 11 · wrong ✗
You fetched the bags Mum asked for, but one bag split and the tins rolled under the car. What do you say?
- 1. Nothing at all; she'll spot the tins by herself later — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. "I couldn't do it", even though you nearly did it all — no support
- 3. "Done, but one bag split and tins are under the car" — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. "Done!" and quietly push the split bag in the bin — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
It is given that a teacher states, "I'd like you to put your chair down". Identify the nature of the utterance.
- 1. An enquiry concerning the pupil's own wishes in the matter — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. A statement of private preference, freely disregarded — no support
- 3. A remark addressed to no person in particular — no support
- 4. A directive in courteous terms, requiring compliance — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓
Determine the reply appropriate to the enquiry "Would you mind returning the ball?" on the part of a listener who intends to comply.
- 1. "No, not at all", and the ball returned — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. No reply, the enquiry being rhetorical — no support
- 3. "Yes", and the ball retained — no support
- 4. "Yes", and the ball returned forthwith — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
Where the instruction "Shut the door, someone" is issued to an assembled class, identify the party upon whom the obligation to act is thereby imposed.
- 1. No pupil, no name having been specified — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The pupil most favourably positioned, being nearest — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. The speaker herself, having raised the matter — no support
- 4. Every pupil present, all of them acting simultaneously — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
Ascertain the significance of the word "please" when uttered sharply after a request has twice been repeated without effect.
- 1. That immediate compliance is now required — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. That compliance has thereby become optional — no support
- 3. That the time of compliance may be negotiated — no support
- 4. That thanks are given for compliance received — ← Mova's choice · score 6
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1, line 15: «A command often gives an action and a place, like "sit ON the benches", and both parts count.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «give» (+4); the same circumstance (+4). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers.
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/commands/1-imperatives-and-polite-requests/