---
title: It is given that an employee has been "signed off" by a medical prac… — Sore backs, glasses and feeling low · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that an employee has been "signed off" by a medical practitioner. Ascertain the meaning of this expression. Exam question 3 of lesson 22 «Sore backs, glasses and feeling low» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of
---

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# Exam question 3 · Sore backs, glasses and feeling low

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that an employee has been "signed off" by a medical practitioner. Ascertain the meaning of this expression.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** medical practitioner, you · **What happens:** give, sign off, ascertain, mean · **To what, where:** It, employee, meaning, expression

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 22 «Sore backs, glasses and feeling low» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low/#e3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that an employee has been "signed off" by a medical practitioner.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low:e3:1
# text = It is given that an employee has been "signed off" by a medical practitioner.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	employee	employee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	10	aux:pass	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	signed	sign	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
11	off	off	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
13	by	by	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	medical	medical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	practitioner	practitioner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **sign off** *in a quote* | present · perfect · passive | a medical practitioner | a employee |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent subject=Destination |

<!-- .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:* Ascertain the meaning of this expression.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low:e3:2
# text = Ascertain the meaning of this expression.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	6	det	_	_
6	expression	expression	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the meaning of this expression |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent meaning=Topic |
| 2 | **mean** |  |  | this expression |  |  |  |  | nom meaning «communication transitive»: of=patient |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A doctor has certified that the person is presently unfit for work

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low:e3:o1:1
# text = A doctor has certified that the person is presently unfit for work
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	doctor	doctor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	certified	certify	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	presently	presently	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	unfit	unfit	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	advcl	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **certify** | present · perfect · passive |  | a doctor |  |  |  |  | vn patent-101 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | the person |  |  |  |  | for work; presently, unfit *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The employee has been dismissed for misconduct

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low:e3:o2:1
# text = The employee has been dismissed for misconduct
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	employee	employee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	dismissed	dismiss	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	misconduct	misconduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dismiss** | present · perfect · passive |  | the employee |  |  |  | for misconduct | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The employee has signed a contract for new employment with another firm

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low:e3:o3:1
# text = The employee has signed a contract for new employment with another firm
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	employee	employee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	signed	sign	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	contract	contract	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	employment	employment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	12	det	_	_
12	firm	firm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sign** | present · perfect | the employee | a contract |  |  |  | for new employment with another firm | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent contract=Destination |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The employee has voluntarily commenced a holiday

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low:e3:o4:1
# text = The employee has voluntarily commenced a holiday
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	employee	employee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	voluntarily	voluntarily	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	commenced	commence	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	holiday	holiday	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | present · perfect · passive |  | the employee |  |  |  | voluntarily *property* | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**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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