Soft words for hard things: school reports and teachers
Tests: 8 of 12 right · Exam: 2 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 7 of 16 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 16 of the euphemisms 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. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: the lesson in the corpora.
Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.
Test 1 · ★ · right ✓
Mum reads: "Ella is a confident speaker and an enthusiastic contributor." What is Ella probably doing in class?
- 1. Sitting quietly and listening — score 2
- 2. Talking over others and shouting out answers — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 10
- 3. Giving speeches to the whole school — no support
- 4. Collecting money for charity — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 2 with score 10, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 15, line 2: «On a school report «sociable» may mean «talks too much in class», and «lively» may mean «cannot sit still and disturbs others».», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+6); the same action «talk» (+4). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 2 · ★ · right ✓
"ugh my report says i'm working at my own pace lol" — what did the teacher mean?
- 1. You are very slow — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. You set your own homework — no support
- 3. You are a fast runner — no support
- 4. You are ahead of everyone — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · ★ · right ✓
Dad: "Creative spelling, it says. Creative! Bloody hell, mate." Why is Dad cross?
- 1. The teacher means the spelling is poor — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. The child forgot the report — no support
- 3. The teacher praised the spelling — no support
- 4. The child won an art prize — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗
Gran says: "Your teacher thinks you know your own mind, eh? Like your grandad." What is she hinting?
- 1. That you are clever at quizzes — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. That you look like grandad — no support
- 3. That you remember names well — no support
- 4. That you are stubborn — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗
A news line: "Local school rated 'requires improvement' by inspectors." Is this good news for the school?
- 1. Yes, it means the school is the best — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Yes, it means new buildings are coming — no support
- 3. No, it means the school is rated poor — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. No, it means the school will close tomorrow — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · ★ · right ✓
Mia's brother reckons "capable of more" is a compliment. Right?
- 1. No, it means she is underachieving — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. No, it means she is ill — no support
- 3. Yes, it means she is the strongest — no support
- 4. Yes, it means she can do everything — no support
Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 7 · ★ · right ✓
The head says at assembly: "Year 5 have been a challenging class this term." What happened?
- 1. Year 5 behaved badly — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 2. Year 5 did the hardest work — no support
- 3. Year 5 won a competition — no support
- 4. Year 5 asked lots of good questions — 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 15, line 15: «"Little darling" said ironically means a badly behaved child.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «behave» (+3); the same property (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · ★ · right ✓
"she says he 'finds it hard to stay on task' — what task, he never even starts" — what is the report saying?
- 1. He has too many tasks — no support
- 2. He wastes time in class — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 3. He cannot find his classroom — no support
- 4. He finishes too early — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 16, line 11: «"Finds it hard to stay on task" means the pupil wastes time in class.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «waste» (+3); the same place «class» (+2); the same property (+1). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 9 · ★ · right ✓
A teacher tells a parent, "Josh has made some progress in reading." The parent frowns. Why?
- 1. It means Josh needs glasses — no support
- 2. It means Josh skipped reading — no support
- 3. It often means very little progress — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 4. It means Josh is top of the class — no support
Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 3 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 16, line 19: «"Has made some progress" often means very little progress.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same action «mean» (+2); the same thing acted on «little progress» (+2); the same property (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗
A friend gets a failed spelling test back. The teacher says, "Think of it as a learning opportunity!" What really happened?
- 1. He was chosen to teach — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. He failed the test — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. He got full marks — no support
- 4. He got a free lesson — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗
"report says i would benefit from more practice with times tables, so like optional right" — is it optional?
- 1. Yes, it is just a suggestion — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. No, it means you must teach it — no support
- 3. No, it means you badly need it — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Yes, only if you want a prize — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 12 · ★ · right ✓
A report says "Kai has his own way of doing things, which is not always the way he was asked." What is Kai doing?
- 1. Inventing a new subject — no support
- 2. Helping the teacher mark — no support
- 3. Not following instructions — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 4. Working at home instead — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 16, line 4: «For example, "Tom has his own way of doing things" usually means Tom does not follow the teacher's instructions.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «follow» (+3); the same thing acted on «instructions» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a pupil described in a written report as "not working to her full potential"?
- 1. The pupil has attained the maximum standard — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The pupil is insufficiently diligent — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. The pupil is unwell and absent — no support
- 4. The pupil has exceeded all expectations — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗
Identify the principal meaning conveyed when an educational institution in the United Kingdom is graded "requires improvement" pursuant to inspection.
- 1. The institution's premises require repair — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The institution is to be expanded — no support
- 3. The institution is of poor quality — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. The institution is of outstanding quality — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · right ✓
It is stated that a pupil is "easily distracted". Select the response that is consistent with the established meaning of this expression.
- 1. The pupil is readily upset — no support
- 2. The pupil acquires knowledge rapidly — no support
- 3. The pupil is easily instructed — no support
- 4. The pupil fails to pay attention — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 16, line 10: «"Easily distracted" means the pupil does not pay attention.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «pay» (+3); the same doer «pupil» (+3); the same thing acted on «attention» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓
Whereas a pupil is reported to be "approaching standard" in the United States, determine what is in fact being communicated.
- 1. The pupil has been awarded a distinction — no support
- 2. The pupil has not yet reached the required level — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
- 3. The pupil has exceeded the required level — score 3
- 4. The pupil is physically nearing a building — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 3, tied with another option at 3 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 16, line 6: «"Approaching standard" (US school jargon) means the pupil is not yet meeting the required level.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «pupil» (+2); the same thing acted on «required level» (+2). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/16-school-reports/