---
title: Dad, reading the news: "Prices up a lot this year, my pay up only a… — When money is tight · tree and pragmatics
description: Dad, reading the news: "Prices up a lot this year, my pay up only a little." What has happened to the family? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 9 «When money is tight» 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 
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · When money is tight

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad, reading the news: "Prices up a lot this year, my pay up only a little." What has happened to the family?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** read, pay up, happen · **To what, where:** news, little

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 9 «When money is tight» 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/9-when-money-is-tight/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Dad, reading the news: "Prices up a lot this year, my pay up only a little."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:9-when-money-is-tight:t3:1
# text = Dad, reading the news: "Prices up a lot this year, my pay up only a little."
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
3	reading	read	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	conj	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Prices	price	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	parataxis	_	_
9	up	up	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	lot	lot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
12	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	13	det	_	_
13	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	pay	pay	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	8	parataxis	_	_
17	up	up	ADP	RP	_	16	compound:prt	_	_
18	only	only	ADV	RB	_	20	advmod	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | gerund |  | the news |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent news=Topic |
| 2 | **pay up** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | a little |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: 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:* What has happened to the family?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:9-when-money-is-tight:t3:2
# text = What has happened to the family?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	happened	happen	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **happen** | present · perfect |  |  |  |  |  | to the family | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They pay less tax because prices rose

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:9-when-money-is-tight:t3:o1:1
# text = They pay less tax because prices rose
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	pay	pay	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	less	less	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	4	amod	_	_
4	tax	tax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	prices	price	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	rose	rise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pay** | present | They | less tax |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tax=Asset |
| 2 | **rise** | past | prices |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are better off, because their pay went up as well

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:9-when-money-is-tight:t3:o2:1
# text = They are better off, because their pay went up as well
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	better	good	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
4	off	off	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	pay	pay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
10	up	up	ADP	RP	_	9	compound:prt	_	_
11	as	as	ADV	RB	ExtPos=ADV	9	advmod	_	_
12	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	11	fixed	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | They |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **go up** | past | their pay |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |
| 3 | **pay** |  | their *= they* |  |  |  |  |  | nom pay «possession transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing changes, because pay went up

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:9-when-money-is-tight:t3:o3:1
# text = Nothing changes, because pay went up
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	nsubj	_	_
2	changes	change	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	pay	pay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
7	up	up	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | present | Nothing |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **go up** | past | pay |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are worse off, as prices rose faster than pay

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:9-when-money-is-tight:t3:o4:1
# text = They are worse off, as prices rose faster than pay
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	worse	bad	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
4	off	off	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	prices	price	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	rose	rise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	faster	fast	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	8	advmod	_	_
10	than	than	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	pay	pay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | They |  |  |  |  | bad, off *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **rise** | past | prices |  |  |  |  | fast *property* | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: 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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- ← previous: [When money is tight, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/9-when-money-is-tight/t2/)
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