---
title: «Maya smiled so she's fine, case closed». What would a good detectiv… — Inference: reading between the lines · tree and pragmatics
description: «Maya smiled so she's fine, case closed». What would a good detective say? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 18 «Inference: reading between the lines» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Inference: reading between the lines

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Maya smiled so she's fine, case closed». What would a good detective say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Maya, good detective · **What happens:** smile, be, close, say · **To what, where:** case · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «Maya smiled so she's fine, case closed».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t9:1
# text = «Maya smiled so she's fine, case closed».
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Maya	Maya	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	smiled	smile	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	case	case	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	parataxis	_	_
10	closed	close	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **smile** *in a quote* | past | Maya |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | Maya |  |  |  |  | fine *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **close** *in a quote* | participle |  | case *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

<!-- .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 would a good detective say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t9:2
# text = What would a good detective say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	detective	detective	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | would | a good detective |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She's laughing at Tess

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t9:o1:1
# text = She's laughing at Tess
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	aux	_	_
3	laughing	laugh	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	Tess	Tess	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **laugh** | present · progressive | She |  |  | Tess |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Smiles never lie, so she must be absolutely fine and happy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t9:o2:1
# text = Smiles never lie, so she must be absolutely fine and happy
1	Smiles	smile	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	lie	lie	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
6	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
7	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	cop	_	_
9	absolutely	absolutely	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **lie** | present | Smiles |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | must | she |  |  |  |  | absolutely, fine *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  | she *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her sad eyes show she's hiding how she feels

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t9:o3:1
# text = Her sad eyes show she's hiding how she feels
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	sad	sad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	eyes	eye	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	show	show	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	hiding	hide	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	ccomp	_	_
8	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
9	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	feels	feel	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present | Her sad eyes |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **hide** | present · progressive | she |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **feel** | present | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We can't know anything from faces

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:18-inference-reading-between-the-lines:t9:o4:1
# text = We can't know anything from faces
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	faces	face	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **know** | can | We | anything |  | faces |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer anything=Stimulus |

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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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