«The dog ate it»: excuses for homework

Tests: 3 of 11 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 11 of 15 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 426 of the everyday 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 ✓

Mate: «just say ur printer broke, works every time». Why might it NOT work?

1. The teacher can just say «email it then» — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
2. It only works on Mondays, when teachers are tired — no support
3. Teachers don't know what printers are — no support
4. Printers never break at home — score 1

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 1 with score 5, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 426, line 2: «Most homework excuses die the same way: they can be checked. Priya in Leicester said the printer broke, and her teacher said «Lovely, email it tonight then» —…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «teacher» (+4); the same action «say» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗

«miss the wifi was down» — but the quiz site says you logged in at 8. What does the teacher know?

1. That the website is broken and shows wrong times — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. That the WiFi went down at 9 — score 2
3. Nothing, websites keep no records — score 1
4. That you were online and the excuse is false — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 5, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 98, line 1: «Real friends are kind to you all the time, not only when nobody else is around; most friendships survive arguments if both cool down, talk and say sorry, and y…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «real friends» (+3); the same property (+2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗

Lad in Leeds: «was proper poorly, miss» — but his mate says «you were bossing it in the ginnel last night». What's a ginnel?

1. A doctor's busy waiting room — no support
2. A kind of football boot with studs — ← Mova's choice · score 6
3. A school playground with goals — no support
4. A narrow alley between houses — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 400, line 5: «Leo, invited to play a horror game, said «It's rated 16, I'm not allowed» in a very relieved voice. Later he admitted he simply did not like scary things. His…», 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 thing acted on «scary things» (+3). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗

Ella's teacher to Mum: «Hope the family thing went well!» Why is this the end of Ella's story?

1. The teacher is being rude to Mum — score 4
2. Mum knows there was no family thing — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. The family thing was cancelled — score 4
4. Mum will say it went well, to help Ella out — ← Mova's choice · score 5

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 4 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 426, line 3: «Some excuses drag in other people. Ella in Auckland said Mum let her off for «a family thing»; she had really been at the beach all arvo (afternoon). At pick-u…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «mum» (+4); the same action «say» (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · right ✓

Ruby binned her homework and nobody asked. Which is TRUE?

1. She got away with it but stayed stuck — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
2. Her brother learned the sums for her — score 3
3. Getting away with it fixed the sums for her — score 8
4. The test was cancelled because of it — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 8, tied with another option at 8 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 340, line 2: «Max in Dublin copied his friend's maths homework twice and got away with it, so he thought he always could. The third time they both had the same wrong answer.…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same property (+3); the same circumstance (+3); the same action «get away» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗

Zara: «but sir there really ARE power cuts here». What's the point the teacher is making?

1. Homework must be done by candle — no support
2. Only teachers may talk about power cuts — no support
3. A real problem that didn't happen to you is still a lie — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Power cuts never happen in Cape Town — ← Mova's choice · score 1

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 105, line 20: «Many kitchen cuts happen when people cut towards their hand or hold food in their palm.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «happen» (+2). Against it: one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗

Jayden: «Look, my brother spilled juice, I've got the proof!» Why is fake proof worse than a fib?

1. It is exactly the same as a fib — no support
2. It is a planned way to fool someone — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Proof is always believed — score 0
4. Juice ruins the teacher's desk and books — ← Mova's choice · score 3

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 4 with score 3, against 0 for the next best. Its support: lesson 342, line 5: «Hidden damage usually gets worse: juice on a laptop wiped and kept secret ruined the keyboard the next day, while telling straight away might have saved it.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «ruin» (+3). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · right ✓

«left it at home, sir» on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... What would happen if Kai said it on Thursday too?

1. The homework would appear by itself — no support
2. The teacher would let him off forever — no support
3. Kai would get extra marks — score 5
4. Nobody would believe it, and the teacher would ring home — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 4 with score 6, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 426, line 5: «Other stories fell apart too. Kai in Manchester said «I left it at home, sir» on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; on Thursday nobody believed it any more, and hi…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «ring» (+4); the same doer «teacher» (+1); the same property (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

Noah: «someone nicked it outta my bag». What is the real harm of this lie?

1. It's a compliment to his homework — no support
2. Innocent kids in the class get suspected — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. There is no harm at all, it's just a story — no support
4. It makes his bag look untidy and messy — ← Mova's choice · score -1

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score -1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 339, line 5: «And sometimes asking gets you more: the neighbour whose apples Noah took on a dare said, «Next time just ask», and gave him a whole bag.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: a different action (counts against) (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «whole bag» (-2). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗

Leo's grandad, seeing the email home: «Bummer.» What does he mean?

1. Let's go to the shop together — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. That's bad luck, too bad — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. I'm very angry with you indeed — no support
4. Well done, great work, I'm proud — 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 ✗

In a cartoon a boy says the dog ate it, and the teacher believes him. What is closer to real life?

1. Teachers always believe stories about dogs — score 2
2. The teacher would give him a dog — ← Mova's choice · score 6
3. Teachers have heard it so often it's a joke — ✓ the right answer · score 6
4. Dogs eat homework most days — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 391, line 4: «Grown-ups give these rules out of love and from their own childhood, and some are half right. But hitting back usually makes a fight bigger and longer, and hit…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «give» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+2); the same doer «grown ups» (+1). The right option, 3, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

Identify the principal reason for which an excuse capable of immediate verification is commonly unsuccessful.

1. Excuses are never permitted in schools — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Teachers are prohibited from believing pupils — no support
3. The teacher may verify it at once, as by requesting that the work be sent electronically — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Electronic devices do not malfunction — 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 ✗

Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the attribution of missing homework to an unidentified thief.

1. It ensures that the work is excused — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. It places responsibility upon the teacher — no support
3. It brings suspicion upon innocent pupils and is regarded as a serious lie — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. It is a permissible excuse where no thief is named and no pupil is accused — 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 ✓

Which of the following statements most accurately characterises an excuse that remains undiscovered but conceals that the pupil did not understand the work?

1. The pupil acquires the knowledge in question — no support
2. The excuse is subsequently rewarded — no support
3. The difficulty is thereby resolved — no support
4. The pupil receives no assistance and the difficulty recurs in subsequent assessment — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score -1

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score -1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 97, line 10: «Many schools have buddies to help new pupils find their way.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «find» (+1); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). Against it: it fills the role the question asks for (-1); the same doer «new pupils» (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

Determine the most appropriate statement by a pupil who has failed to complete homework.

1. An assertion that a domestic animal consumed it — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. An assertion that it was removed by another pupil — no support
3. An admission that the work was not done, with an undertaking to submit it — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. An assertion that a parent authorised its omission — 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

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