---
title: Me ma would never say that to a champ, so how come Cona'n said it's… — Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab C… · tree and pragmatics
description: Me ma would never say that to a champ, so how come Cona'n said it's no boast? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 1056 «Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab Coat, part 24: a strange lord arrives by sea and challenges the Fianna to a contest» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree an
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab Coat, part 24: a stra…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Me ma would never say that to a champ, so how come Cona'n said it's no boast?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Me ma, Cona'n, ma · **What happens:** not say, come, say, be · **To what, where:** that, boast · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 1056 «Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab Coat, part 24: a strange lord arrives by sea and challenges the Fianna to a contest» of the books 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/books/1056-pg2892-part24/#t8).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1056-pg2892-part24:t8:1
# text = Me ma would never say that to a champ, so how come Cona'n said it's no boast?
1	Me	me	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	ma	ma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	obj	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	champ	champ	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
12	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	13	advmod	_	_
13	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
14	Cona'n	Cona'n	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
15	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	conj	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
18	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	19	det	_	_
19	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **say** *speech: assert* | would | Me ma | that |  |  |  | to a champ | tree rules |
| 2 | **come** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Cona'n |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is a** | present | ma | no boast |  |  |  |  | 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He said it's no boast at all, just the plain truth, and he means every word of it

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1056-pg2892-part24:t8:o1:1
# text = He said it's no boast at all, just the plain truth, and he means every word of it
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	just	just	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	plain	plain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
18	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	19	det	_	_
19	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	_
20	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **is a** | present | it | no boast and the plain truth |  | all |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **mean** | present | he | every word of word |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Topic |
| 4 | **word** |  |  | word |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He said it was boasting, but fair enough

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1056-pg2892-part24:t8:o2:1
# text = He said it was boasting, but fair enough
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	boasting	boast	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
9	enough	enough	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **boast** *speech: other* | past · progressive | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn complain-37.8 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He said it was a bit of a boast

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1056-pg2892-part24:t8:o3:1
# text = He said it was a bit of a boast
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | it | a bit |  |  |  | of a boast | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He said it's no boast at all, just the truth

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1056-pg2892-part24:t8:o4:1
# text = He said it's no boast at all, just the truth
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	just	just	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | present | it | no boast and the truth |  | all |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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 -->

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- ← previous: [Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab C…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1056-pg2892-part24/t7/)
- next →: [Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab C…, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1056-pg2892-part24/t9/)
- ↑ back to [Fionn's Fianna, The Carl of the Drab Coat, part 24: a strange lord arrives by sea and challenges the Fianna to a contest](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1056-pg2892-part24/)