---
title: Big sister, scrolling at midnight: "just checking if the war's over,… — Scary news: wars, disasters and how to… · tree and pragmatics
description: Big sister, scrolling at midnight: "just checking if the war's over, then I'll sleep, promise." Why is this a bad idea? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 51 «Scary news: wars, disasters and how to talk about them» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the q
---

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# Test 7 · ★ · Scary news: wars, disasters and how to talk about them

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Big sister, scrolling at midnight: "just checking if the war's over, then I'll sleep, promise." Why is this a bad idea?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Big sister, war, I, this · **What happens:** scroll, check, be, sleep, promise · **To what, where:** bad idea

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This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 51 «Scary news: wars, disasters and how to talk about them» 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/51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Big sister, scrolling at midnight: "just checking if the war's over, then I'll sleep, promise."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them:t7:1
# text = Big sister, scrolling at midnight: "just checking if the war's over, then I'll sleep, promise."
1	Big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	sister	sister	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
4	scrolling	scroll	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	midnight	midnight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
8	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	just	just	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	checking	check	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
11	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
15	over	over	ADV	RB	_	10	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
17	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	20	advmod	_	_
18	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	20	aux	_	_
20	sleep	sleep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
22	promise	promise	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	20	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **scroll** | gerund | Big sister *not said here* |  |  |  | midnight |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **check** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | present | the war |  |  |  |  | over *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **sleep** *in a quote* | future | I |  |  |  | then |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **promise** *speech: promise* *in a quote* | infinitive | I *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn promise-37.13 «NP V that S»: 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 is this a bad idea?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them:t7:2
# text = Why is this a bad idea?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	6	nsubj	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She'll miss the end if she sleeps now

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them:t7:o1:1
# text = She'll miss the end if she sleeps now
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	miss	miss	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	sleeps	sleep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
9	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **miss** | future | She | the end |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer end=Stimulus |
| 2 | **sleep** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | she |  |  |  | now |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Phones explode if used after midnight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them:t7:o2:1
# text = Phones explode if used after midnight
1	Phones	phone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	explode	explode	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
4	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
5	after	after	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	midnight	midnight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explode** | present | Phones |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **use** *a condition, not said to happen* | participle | Phones *not said here* |  |  |  | midnight |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Checking again and again keeps the worry going and makes nobody safer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them:t7:o3:1
# text = Checking again and again keeps the worry going and makes nobody safer
1	Checking	check	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	csubj	_	_
2	again	again	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	again	again	ADV	RB	_	2	conj	_	_
5	keeps	keep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	worry	worry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	going	go	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	xcomp	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
11	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	10	obj	_	_
12	safer	safe	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	10	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **check** | gerund |  |  |  |  | again |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **keep** | present | Checking | the worry |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **go** | gerund | the worry *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **make** | present | Checking *not said here* | nobody |  |  |  | safe *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset nobody=Product |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The war will only end if someone watches

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them:t7:o4:1
# text = The war will only end if someone watches
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	end	end	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	8	nsubj	_	_
8	watches	watch	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **end** | future | the war |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **watch** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | someone |  |  |  |  |  | vn search-35.2 «NP V PP.location»: 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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- ↑ back to [Scary news: wars, disasters and how to talk about them](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/51-scary-news-wars-disasters-and-how-to-talk-about-them/)