---
title: Your brother says "Debt means we're bad people." Put him right. — Borrowing and debt · tree and pragmatics
description: Your brother says "Debt means we're bad people." Put him right. Test 1 · ★★ of lesson 8 «Borrowing and debt» 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 right.
---

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# Test 1 · ★★ · Borrowing and debt

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your brother says "Debt means we're bad people." Put him right.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** brother, Debt, we, you · **What happens:** say, mean, be, put · **To what, where:** bad people, Debt · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 8 «Borrowing and debt» 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/8-borrowing-and-debt/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your brother says "Debt means we're bad people."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:8-borrowing-and-debt:t1:1
# text = Your brother says "Debt means we're bad people."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	Debt	debt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **mean** *in a quote* | present | Debt |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | we | bad people |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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:* Put him right.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:8-borrowing-and-debt:t1:2
# text = Put him right.
1	Put	put	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	right	right	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | imperative | you *not said here* |  | Debt |  |  | right *property* | vn invest-13.5.4-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent he=Goal |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Debt means the family will lose everything

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:8-borrowing-and-debt:t1:o1:1
# text = Debt means the family will lose everything
1	Debt	debt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	lose	lose	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
7	everything	everything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Debt |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **lose** | future | the family | everything |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent everything=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Debt means the bank owns the children

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:8-borrowing-and-debt:t1:o2:1
# text = Debt means the bank owns the children
1	Debt	debt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	bank	bank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	owns	own	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Debt |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **own** | present | the bank | the children |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot child=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is right, only bad people ever borrow money from a bank

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:8-borrowing-and-debt:t1:o3:1
# text = He is right, only bad people ever borrow money from a bank
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
8	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	9	advmod	_	_
9	borrow	borrow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
10	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
11	from	from	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	bank	bank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **borrow** | present | bad people | money |  | a bank | ever |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent money=Theme from bank=Source |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Debt is common, most adults have some, and it can be sorted

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:8-borrowing-and-debt:t1:o4:1
# text = Debt is common, most adults have some, and it can be sorted
1	Debt	debt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	6	amod	_	_
6	adults	adult	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
8	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
12	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	sorted	sort	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Debt |  |  |  |  | common *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | most adults | some |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent some=Patient |
| 3 | **sort** | can · passive |  | Debt |  |  |  |  | vn classify-29.10 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

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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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<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Cards, banks and apps, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/7-cards-banks-and-apps/e4/)
- next →: [Borrowing and debt, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/t2/)
- ↑ back to [Borrowing and debt](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/)