---
title: It is given that a parent responds to a request for a puppy with the… — Sorry, white lies and «because I said… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a parent responds to a request for a puppy with the words "We'll see". Determine the most probable meaning of this response. Exam question 3 of lesson 37 «Sorry, white lies and «because I said so»» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragm
---

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# Exam question 3 · Sorry, white lies and «because I said so»

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a parent responds to a request for a puppy with the words "We'll see". Determine the most probable meaning of this response.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** parent, We, you · **What happens:** give, respond, see, determine, mean · **To what, where:** It, words, probable meaning, response · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 37 «Sorry, white lies and «because I said so»» 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/37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so/#e3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a parent responds to a request for a puppy with the words "We'll see".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so:e3:1
# text = It is given that a parent responds to a request for a puppy with the words "We'll see".
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	_	7	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	responds	respond	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	request	request	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	puppy	puppy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	with	with	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod	_	_
17	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	20	aux	_	_
20	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	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 | **respond** *speech: other* | present | a parent |  |  |  |  | to a request for a puppy with the words | vn respond-113 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent to request=Theme |
| 3 | **see** *in a quote* | future | We | the words *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer word=Stimulus |

<!-- .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:* Determine the most probable meaning of this response.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so:e3:2
# text = Determine the most probable meaning of this response.
1	Determine	determine	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
3	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
4	probable	probable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	8	det	_	_
8	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An unconditional promise that a puppy will be obtained

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so:e3:o1:1
# text = An unconditional promise that a puppy will be obtained
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	unconditional	unconditional	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	obj	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	puppy	puppy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
8	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	obtained	obtain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **obtain** | future · passive |  | a puppy |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A request to inspect a photograph of the animal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so:e3:o2:1
# text = A request to inspect a photograph of the animal
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	request	request	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	inspect	inspect	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	acl	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	photograph	photograph	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **inspect** | to-infinitive |  | a photograph of the animal |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent photograph=Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Probably not, although no refusal is yet stated

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so:e3:o3:1
# text = Probably not, although no refusal is yet stated
1	Probably	probably	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	although	although	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	refusal	refusal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
8	yet	yet	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	stated	state	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **state** *speech: other* | present · passive |  | no refusal |  |  | yet |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: subject=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A final and permanent prohibition of the subject

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so:e3:o4:1
# text = A final and permanent prohibition of the subject
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
2	final	final	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	permanent	permanent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
5	prohibition	prohibition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	subject	subject	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prohibit** |  |  | the subject |  |  |  |  | nom prohibition «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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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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- ↑ back to [Sorry, white lies and «because I said so»](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so/)