---
title: Your little sister cries "if we're really really good, Dad will come… — When parents separate · tree and pragmatics
description: Your little sister cries "if we're really really good, Dad will come home". What is true? Test 10 · ★★ 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 wrong.
---

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# Test 10 · ★★ · When parents separate

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your little sister cries "if we're really really good, Dad will come home". What is true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** little sister, we, Dad · **What happens:** cry, be, come · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 10 · ★★ 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/#t10).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your little sister cries "if we're really really good, Dad will come home".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t10:1
# text = Your little sister cries "if we're really really good, Dad will come home".
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	sister	sister	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	cries	cry	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
7	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
9	really	really	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	really	really	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	conj	_	_
16	home	home	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cry** *speech: express* | present | Your little sister |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | present | we |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **come** *in a quote* | future | Dad |  |  |  |  | home *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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:t10:2
# 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, being good for a month will bring Dad home

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t10:o1:1
# text = Yes, being good for a month will bring Dad home
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	cop	_	_
4	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	month	month	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	bring	bring	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	csubj	_	_
10	Dad	Dad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
11	home	home	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **bring** | future | a month |  | Dad |  |  | home *property* | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Instrument dad=Destination |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Children cannot undo a separation, and being good or naughty didn't cause it

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t10:o2:1
# text = Children cannot undo a separation, and being good or naughty didn't cause it
1	Children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	undo	undo	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	separation	separation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	cop	_	_
10	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	csubj	_	_
11	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	naughty	naughty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	conj	_	_
13	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	cause	cause	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	parataxis	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **undo** | can | Children | a separation |  |  |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent separation=Patient |
| 2 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **not** **cause** | past · do-support |  | separation |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition it=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only if both of you are good

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t10:o3:1
# text = Yes, but only if both of you are good
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	10	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
5	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
6	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	nsubj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	6	nmod	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, Dad will come home only if she cries more

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:15-when-parents-separate:t10:o4:1
# text = No, Dad will come home only if she cries more
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	home	home	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	only	only	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
8	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
9	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	cries	cry	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
11	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	10	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | future | Dad |  |  |  |  | home *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **cry** *speech: express* *a condition, not said to happen* | present | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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.

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- ← previous: [When parents separate, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/15-when-parents-separate/t9/)
- next →: [When parents separate, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/15-when-parents-separate/t11/)
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