---
title: Gran in the story says the house is «a right state» (northern for a… — Inference: reading between the lines · tree and pragmatics
description: Gran in the story says the house is «a right state» (northern for a real mess). Ruby infers the garden is messy. What would make her answer stronger? Test 11 · ★ of lesson 18 «Inference: reading between the lines» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatic
---

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# Test 11 · ★ · Inference: reading between the lines

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Gran in the story says the house is «a right state» (northern for a real mess). Ruby infers the garden is messy. What would make her answer stronger?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Gran, house, Ruby, garden · **What happens:** say, be, infer, make, answer · **To what, where:** right state, Ruby · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 11 · ★ of lesson 18 «Inference: reading between the lines» of the English 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/english/18-inference-reading-between-the-lines/#t11).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Gran in the story says the house is «a right state» (northern for a real mess).

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:1
# text = Gran in the story says the house is «a right state» (northern for a real mess).
1	Gran	Gran	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	state	state	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
14	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	northern	northern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	parataxis	_	_
16	for	for	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
17	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
18	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	mess	mess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Gran in the story |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | the house | a right state |  |  |  |  | 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:* Ruby infers the garden is messy.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:2
# text = Ruby infers the garden is messy.
1	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	infers	infer	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	garden	garden	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	messy	messy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **infer** | present | Ruby |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the garden |  |  |  |  | messy *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What would make her answer stronger?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:3
# text = What would make her answer stronger?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	make	make	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	answer	answer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	stronger	strong	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | would |  | Ruby |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **answer** *speech: assert* | infinitive | Ruby *not said here* |  |  |  |  | strong *property* | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Making up a new clue that isn't in the text but sounds good

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:o1:1
# text = Making up a new clue that isn't in the text but sounds good
1	Making	make	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	13	csubj	_	_
2	up	up	ADP	RP	_	1	compound:prt	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	clue	clue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	text	text	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	acl:relcl	_	_
12	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	sounds	sound	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
14	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make up** | gerund |  | a new clue |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme clue=Pivot |
| 2 | **not** **is** | present | a new clue |  |  | the text |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **sound** | present | Making |  |  |  |  | good *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Adding the clue: weeds and a broken gate

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:o2:1
# text = Adding the clue: weeds and a broken gate
1	Adding	add	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	clue	clue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
5	weeds	weed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	gate	gate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | gerund |  | the clue |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **break** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Writing «a right state» three times

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:o3:1
# text = Writing «a right state» three times
1	Writing	write	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	state	state	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | gerund |  | a right state |  |  | time |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent state=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Saying it in a posh voice

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t11:o4:1
# text = Saying it in a posh voice
1	Saying	say	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	posh	posh	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	voice	voice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund |  | it |  | a posh voice |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent it=Theme in voice=Manner |

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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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