MovaQuestions that are really requests
Tests: 5 of 12 right · Exam: 4 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 9 of 16 · Run: 2026-11-05, commit 610eccd1d
Lesson 2 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 · ★ · wrong ✗
"bro, you got a charger? I'm on 2%, no cap." What does your mate want?
- 1. You to say "no cap" back to agree — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. To know how many chargers you own at home — no support
- 3. To borrow your charger if you have one — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. You to charge your own phone first — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 2 · ★ · right ✓
Your cousin says, "a question is never an order, so if they ask, just say yes." Is she right?
- 1. No, many questions are polite orders — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 2. No, every single question is an order — score 4
- 3. Yes, unless the person says please — no support
- 4. Yes, a question only wants a yes or no — score 3
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 2, line 4: «Saying "yeah, I can" and not moving is how a robot fails, and how the door stays shut while Mum drops the shopping. "A question is never an order" is a myth, a…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «question» (+4); the same thing acted on «order» (+4); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). Against it: one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-6).
Test 3 · ★ · right ✓
A toy robot hears "can you open the window?", says "Yes", and the window stays shut. What went wrong?
- 1. It took a request for a question about what it can do — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. It answered far too slowly for the person asking — no support
- 3. It should have said "yes please" instead of "yes" — no support
- 4. Nothing; it did exactly what it was asked to do — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗
Auntie in Texas, hands on hips: "y'all fixin' to leave them muddy boots in my hallway?" What does she want?
- 1. Your boots put on so you can go out — no support
- 2. The hallway floor cleaned up tomorrow — no support
- 3. The muddy boots moved out of her hallway — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. To know what time you plan to leave — ← Mova's choice · score 3
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 2, line 1: «Lots of commands come dressed up as questions: "can you get the door?", "have you got a pen?", "do you know the time?". The speaker does not want a "yes"; they…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «know» (+3); the same property (+1). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers.
Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗
Mum, on the phone and unable to stop, points at the rain on the washing and mouths "is that rain?" What do you do?
- 1. Wait till she's off the phone — no support
- 2. Mouth "yep" and sit back down — no support
- 3. Ask her loudly what she means — ← Mova's choice · score 6
- 4. Bring the washing in for her — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 3 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 2, line 15: «"Conked out" means stopped working; in New Zealand "jandals" are flip-flops; in the southern US "fixin' to" means "about to".», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same action «mean» (+3). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers.
Test 6 · ★ · right ✓
Grandpa in Auckland: "eh, any chance you could grab my jandals off the deck?" What does he want?
- 1. His flip-flops brought from the deck — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. To know what the chances really are — no support
- 3. Your own flip-flops put on to go out — no support
- 4. His jeans fetched off the washing line — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗
A teacher filling in the recorder club list: "who can play the recorder?" What do you do?
- 1. Grab a recorder and start playing it — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Hand up only if you really can play it — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Ask her if you can borrow a recorder — no support
- 4. Hand up anyway, so you get picked — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 8 · ★ · right ✓
Mum, coat on, at the door: "have you seen my keys?" They are right beside you. What is best?
- 1. Hand her the keys — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Say "yes, I have" and carry on reading — no support
- 3. Hide them as a joke and say "what keys?" — no support
- 4. Say "no", since you weren't looking for them — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown.
Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗
Dad: "I've asked a million times, can someone PLEASE feed the cat?" What does he want?
- 1. Someone to tell him if the cat has eaten today — ← Mova's choice · score 8
- 2. Someone to feed the cat a million biscuits — no support
- 3. Someone to feed the cat now; he's asked lots — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Someone to count up how many times he asked — score 6
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 8, against 6 for the next best. Its support: lesson 2, line 2: «Even plain remarks can be requests. Nan saying "it's baltic in here" means shut the window; Dad saying "bin's full, then" to the kids whose job it is means tak…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «say» (+4); the same doer «dad» (+4). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers.
Test 10 · ★ · right ✓
Gran, with the heating on full and the window shut: "it's a touch warm in here, isn't it, pet?" What is best?
- 1. Open the window a little and ask if that's better — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
- 2. Turn the heating up higher to be extra cosy — no support
- 3. Wrap Gran in a blanket so she feels cosier — no support
- 4. Say "not really" because you feel fine yourself — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 2, line 2: «Even plain remarks can be requests. Nan saying "it's baltic in here" means shut the window; Dad saying "bin's full, then" to the kids whose job it is means tak…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «window» (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1).
Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗
Dad asked "is the back door locked?" You checked: it wasn't, so you locked it. What do you tell him?
- 1. "It wasn't, so I've locked it" — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. "Yes", since it's locked now — no support
- 3. Nothing; it's sorted anyway — ← Mova's choice · score 5
- 4. "No", and leave it at that — no support
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 2, line 10: «A worried "is the oven still on?" means go and check, switch it off if nothing is cooking or tell the grown-up, and say what you found.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «nothing» (+2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers.
Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗
Your sister is on a video call with her teacher. You burst in: "can you get me a biscuit?" Was that OK?
- 1. Fine, because a biscuit is a real need right now — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Rude, because you must never interrupt anyone — no support
- 3. Fine, because you asked it as a question — no support
- 4. Rude; it isn't urgent, so wait till she's done — ✓ 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 1 · formal language · right ✓
It is given that a person laden with shopping enquires, "Can you get the door for me?". Identify the response that most appropriately satisfies the enquiry.
- 1. The opening of the door forthwith — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. A request for clarification as to which door is meant — no support
- 3. A verbal confirmation of one's capacity to open doors — no support
- 4. Remaining seated pending a more formal instruction — 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 ✓
Pursuant to a club enrolment conducted with a written list, the instructor asks, "Can you swim a width?". Ascertain the nature of the question.
- 1. A directive to enter the water and swim the width forthwith — no support
- 2. A rhetorical remark requiring no answer of any kind — score 3
- 3. A genuine enquiry as to ability, requiring a truthful answer — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 4. An instruction to remove one's flotation aids immediately — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 6, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 2, line 3: «The scene decides. If the job is right there and you could do it, the question is a request. If the swimming teacher holds a clipboard at sign-up, "can you swi…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «want» (+2); the same doer «real question» (+2); the same thing acted on «true answer» (+2).
Exam question 3 · formal language · right ✓
Whereas a grandparent remarks, beside an open window, that the room is exceedingly cold, determine the action thereby requested.
- 1. The closing of the open window — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 2. The provision of information about the Baltic — no support
- 3. The listener's agreement as to the temperature — no support
- 4. No action, the remark being a statement of fact — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 2, line 12: «A complaint about the room, like "it's freezing in here", is often a hint to fix it, such as shutting the open window.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «shut» (+2); the same thing acted on «open window» (+2).
Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓
In respect of the enquiry "Do you know the time?", select the response consistent with the speaker's intention.
- 1. A statement of the present time — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 2. An affirmation that one possesses such knowledge — no support
- 3. A referral of the speaker to his own telephone — no support
- 4. A denial of any acquaintance with the speaker — no support
Why: It applied a rule: lesson 2, line 9 («"Do you know the time?" means "tell me the time".»), joined by «mean». Its condition Event you know attrs=when:time | quoted matched the question's Event you know attrs=when:time | quoted (you := you). Its conclusion, so: Say(assert) _ tell to=job(«me») attrs=when:time | quoted. Option 1 says it (Event _ state patient=time), the only option that does.
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/commands/2-questions-that-are-really-requests/