---
title: Your friend says "my parents are splitting up 'cos I kept fighting w… — When parents separate · tree and pragmatics
description: Your friend says "my parents are splitting up 'cos I kept fighting with my brother". What is true? Test 1 · ★★ of lesson 15 «When parents separate» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 1 · ★★ · When parents separate

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your friend says "my parents are splitting up 'cos I kept fighting with my brother". What is true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** friend, parents · **What happens:** say, split up, keep, fight, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 15 «When parents separate» of the adult life 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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/adult-life/15-when-parents-separate/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your friend says "my parents are splitting up 'cos I kept fighting with my brother".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t1:1
# text = Your friend says "my parents are splitting up 'cos I kept fighting with my brother".
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	splitting	split	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	ccomp	_	_
9	up	up	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	cos	cos	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
12	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	advcl	_	_
14	fighting	fight	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	13	xcomp	_	_
15	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your friend |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **split up** *in a quote* | present · progressive | my parents |  |  |  |  |  | vn interact-36.6 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **keep** *in a quote* | past | Your friend *= friend* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **fight** *in a quote* | gerund | Your friend *= friend* *not said here* |  |  |  |  | with my brother | vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V PP.co-agent»: agent=Agent with brother=Co-Agent |

<!-- .note -->
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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t1:2
# text = What is true?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, children do not cause their parents to split up

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t1:o1:1
# text = No, children do not cause their parents to split up
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
4	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	cause	cause	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	split	split	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
11	up	up	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **cause** | present · do-support | children | children's parents |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition parent=Patient |
| 2 | **split up** | to-infinitive | children *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn interact-36.6 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, so she should stop and they'll stay together

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t1:o2:1
# text = Yes, so she should stop and they'll stay together
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	stop	stop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	stay	stay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
11	together	together	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | should | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **stay together** | future | they |  |  |  |  | together *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, fighting with brothers and sisters often causes a divorce

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t1:o3:1
# text = Yes, fighting with brothers and sisters often causes a divorce
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	3	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
3	fighting	fight	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	brothers	brother	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	sisters	sister	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
8	often	often	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	causes	cause	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	divorce	divorce	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fight** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | with brothers and sisters | vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V PP.co-agent»: agent=Agent with brother=Co-Agent |
| 2 | **cause** | present | fighting | a divorce |  |  |  | often *property* | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition divorce=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it is because of her brother only

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t1:o4:1
# text = No, it is because of her brother only
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	because	because	ADP	IN	ExtPos=ADP	8	case	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	fixed	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | it |  |  |  |  | because her brother | tree rules |

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**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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Grown-ups who argue and make up, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/14-grown-ups-who-argue-and-make-up/e4/)
- next →: [When parents separate, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/15-when-parents-separate/t2/)
- ↑ back to [When parents separate](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/15-when-parents-separate/)