---
title: Lad in Newcastle goes, "Howay man, reading music's for swots, me." (… — Reading music: notes, beats and rhythm · tree and pragmatics
description: Lad in Newcastle goes, "Howay man, reading music's for swots, me." ("howay" means come on). What is the fairest answer? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 2 «Reading music: notes, beats and rhythm» of the arts course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Reading music: notes, beats and rhythm

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lad in Newcastle goes, "Howay man, reading music's for swots, me." ("howay" means come on). What is the fairest answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Lad, howay, fairest answer · **What happens:** go, read, mean, come on, be · **To what, where:** Howay man, music · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 2 «Reading music: notes, beats and rhythm» of the arts 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/arts/2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Lad in Newcastle goes, "Howay man, reading music's for swots, me."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:1
# text = Lad in Newcastle goes, "Howay man, reading music's for swots, me."
1	Lad	lad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	Newcastle	Newcastle	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Howay	Howay	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	reading	read	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
11	music	music	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	swots	swot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
16	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | present | Lad in Newcastle | Howay man |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **read** *in a quote* | gerund | Lad in Newcastle *not said here* | music |  |  |  | for swots | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent music=Topic |

<!-- .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:* ("howay" means come on).

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:2
# text = ("howay" means come on).
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	howay	howay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
7	on	on	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | howay |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **come on** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is the fairest answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:3
# text = What is the fairest answer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	fairest	fair	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is wrong, nobody can play by ear

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:o1:1
# text = He is wrong, nobody can play by ear
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	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	7	nsubj	_	_
6	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	parataxis	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	ear	ear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **play** | can | nobody |  |  |  |  | by ear | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only swots are allowed to play music

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:o2:1
# text = Only swots are allowed to play music
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	swots	swot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	music	music	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allow** | present · passive |  | swots |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **play** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | swots *not said here* | music |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent music=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Playing by ear and reading are both useful skills

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:o3:1
# text = Playing by ear and reading are both useful skills
1	Playing	play	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
2	by	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	ear	ear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	reading	reading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	both	both	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	useful	useful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	skills	skill	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **play** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | by ear and reading | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | present | Playing | useful skills |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
he's right, nobody needs to read music these days, man

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:2-reading-music-notes-beats-and-rhythm:t9:o4:1
# text = he's right, nobody needs to read music these days, man
1	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	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	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	6	nsubj	_	_
6	needs	need	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
9	music	music	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
10	these	this	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	11	det	_	_
11	days	day	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | he |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **need** | present | nobody |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **read** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | nobody *not said here* | music |  |  | day |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent music=Topic |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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