---
title: At Nan's house, Mum finds a box of letters Nan kept for sixty years… — What people leave behind · tree and pragmatics
description: At Nan's house, Mum finds a box of letters Nan kept for sixty years and sits on the floor crying. Why? Test 5 · ★ of lesson 26 «What people leave behind» 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 w
---

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# Test 5 · ★ · What people leave behind

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
At Nan's house, Mum finds a box of letters Nan kept for sixty years and sits on the floor crying. Why?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Mum, Nan · **What happens:** find, keep, sit, cry · **To what, where:** box, house, floor · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★ of lesson 26 «What people leave behind» 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/26-what-people-leave-behind/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* At Nan's house, Mum finds a box of letters Nan kept for sixty years and sits on the floor crying.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:26-what-people-leave-behind:t5:1
# text = At Nan's house, Mum finds a box of letters Nan kept for sixty years and sits on the floor crying.
1	At	at	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
2	Nan	Nan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	Mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	finds	find	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	box	box	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	_
12	Nan	Nan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	_
14	for	for	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	sixty	sixty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	nummod	_	_
16	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obl	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	sits	sit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
19	on	on	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
22	crying	cry	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	18	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | present | Mum | a box of letters |  | Nan's house |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent box=Attribute clause=Theme |
| 2 | **keep** | past | Nan |  |  |  | year |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **sit** | present | Mum *not said here* |  |  | the floor |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent on floor=Location |
| 4 | **cry** *speech: express* | gerund | Mum *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=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:* Why?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:26-what-people-leave-behind:t5:2
# text = Why?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She has hurt her back lifting all the heavy boxes down the stairs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:26-what-people-leave-behind:t5:o1:1
# text = She has hurt her back lifting all the heavy boxes down the stairs
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	lifting	lift	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
7	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	10	det:predet	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	heavy	heavy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	boxes	box	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
11	down	down	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	stairs	stair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hurt** | present · perfect | She | her back |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer back=Patient |
| 2 | **lift** | gerund | She *not said here* | all heavy boxes |  | the stairs |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent box=Theme down stair=Destination |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Old things bring back strong memories of Nan

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:26-what-people-leave-behind:t5:o2:1
# text = Old things bring back strong memories of Nan
1	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	bring	bring	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	back	back	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	memories	memory	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	Nan	Nan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bring back** | present | Old things | strong memories of Nan |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent memory=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The letters are old bills Nan never got round to paying

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:26-what-people-leave-behind:t5:o3:1
# text = The letters are old bills Nan never got round to paying
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	bills	bill	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
6	Nan	Nan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	got	get	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
9	round	round	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
10	to	to	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
11	paying	pay	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the letters | old bills |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **get round** | past | Nan | old bills *not said here* |  |  |  | round *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer bill=Stimulus |
| 3 | **pay** | gerund | Nan *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She is crying only because the box is so heavy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:26-what-people-leave-behind:t5:o4:1
# text = She is crying only because the box is so heavy
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	crying	cry	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	csubj	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	because	because	ADP	IN	ExtPos=ADP	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	box	box	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	heavy	heavy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cry** *speech: express* | present · progressive | She | the box |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent box=Topic |
| 2 | **is** | present | crying |  |  |  |  | heavy *property* | 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.

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- ← previous: [What people leave behind, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/26-what-people-leave-behind/t4/)
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