---
title: A kid in Liverpool says, "Old effects were dead rubbish, la" ("la" m… — Special effects and stunts · tree and pragmatics
description: A kid in Liverpool says, "Old effects were dead rubbish, la" ("la" means mate). What is fair to say? Test 3 of lesson 25 «Special effects and stunts» of the arts course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/arts/25-special-effects-and-stunts/t3/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Arts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/arts/) / [Special effects and stunts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/arts/25-special-effects-and-stunts/) / t3

# Test 3 · Special effects and stunts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A kid in Liverpool says, "Old effects were dead rubbish, la" ("la" means mate). What is fair to say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** kid, Old effects, la · **What happens:** say, be, mean · **To what, where:** dead rubbish, mate · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 of lesson 25 «Special effects and stunts» 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/25-special-effects-and-stunts/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A kid in Liverpool says, "Old effects were dead rubbish, la" ("la" means mate).

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:25-special-effects-and-stunts:t3:1
# text = A kid in Liverpool says, "Old effects were dead rubbish, la" ("la" means mate).
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	kid	kid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Liverpool	Liverpool	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	effects	effect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
10	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	rubbish	rubbish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	la	la	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
16	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	la	la	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	_
20	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
21	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a kid in Liverpool |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | past | Old effects | dead rubbish and la |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **mean** | present | la | mate |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mate=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:* What is fair to say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:25-special-effects-and-stunts:t3:2
# text = What is fair to say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | fair *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Old films had no special effects of any kind at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:25-special-effects-and-stunts:t3:o1:1
# text = Old films had no special effects of any kind at all
1	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	films	film	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
5	special	special	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	effects	effect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	det	_	_
9	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | Old films | no special effects of any kind |  | all |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent effect=Patient |
| 2 | **effect** |  |  | any kind |  |  |  |  | nom effect «phenomenon transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were clever for their time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:25-special-effects-and-stunts:t3:o2:1
# text = They were clever for their time
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	clever	clever	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | They |  |  |  | time | clever *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were rubbish and nobody uses any of them in films today

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:25-special-effects-and-stunts:t3:o3:1
# text = They were rubbish and nobody uses any of them in films today
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	rubbish	rubbish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	6	nsubj	_	_
6	uses	use	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	obj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nmod	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	films	film	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
12	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | rubbish |  |  | today |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **use** | present | nobody | any |  | films |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent any=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Old effects were secretly made by early computers in the 1930s

```conllu
# sent_id = question:arts:25-special-effects-and-stunts:t3:o4:1
# text = Old effects were secretly made by early computers in the 1930s
1	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	effects	effect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
4	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	early	early	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	computers	computer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	1930s	1930	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan|NumForm=Combi|NumType=Card	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | past · passive | early computers | Old effects |  | the 1930s |  | secretly *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset subject=Product |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Special effects and stunts, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/arts/25-special-effects-and-stunts/t2/)
- next →: [Special effects and stunts, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/arts/25-special-effects-and-stunts/t4/)
- ↑ back to [Special effects and stunts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/arts/25-special-effects-and-stunts/)