---
title: Mia writes a persuasive letter: «Give us a pet hamster. It's good.»… — Persuasive letters, newspaper articles… · tree and pragmatics
description: Mia writes a persuasive letter: «Give us a pet hamster. It's good.» How could she make it more persuasive? Test 9 · ★★ of lesson 24 «Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/t9/)

<!-- 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/) / [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/) / [Persuasive letters, newspaper articles…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/) / t9

# Test 9 · ★★ · Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mia writes a persuasive letter: «Give us a pet hamster. It's good.» How could she make it more persuasive?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Mia, hamster · **What happens:** write, give, be, make · **To what, where:** persuasive letter, pet hamster, us, hamster

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★ of lesson 24 «Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries» 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/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Mia writes a persuasive letter: «Give us a pet hamster.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:1
# text = Mia writes a persuasive letter: «Give us a pet hamster.
1	Mia	Mia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	writes	write	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	persuasive	persuasive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
7	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	conj	_	_
9	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	iobj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	pet	pet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	hamster	hamster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | present | Mia | a persuasive letter |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Theme |
| 2 | **give** *in a quote* | infinitive | Mia *not said here* | a pet hamster | us |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent we=Recipient hamster=Theme |

<!-- .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:* It's good.»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:2
# text = It's good.»
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|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	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | hamster |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* How could she make it more persuasive?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:3
# text = How could she make it more persuasive?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	7	advmod	_	_
7	persuasive	persuasive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | could | Mia | hamster |  |  |  | persuasive *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Product |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Write it all in capitals

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:o1:1
# text = Write it all in capitals
1	Write	write	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	capitals	capital	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  | capitals |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent it=Theme in capital=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Add «Dear Diary» at the start of the letter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:o2:1
# text = Add «Dear Diary» at the start of the letter
1	Add	add	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Dear	dear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	Diary	Diary	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	start	start	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | Dear Diary |  | the start of the letter |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent diary=Patient |
| 2 | **start** |  |  | the letter |  |  |  |  | nom start «event transitive»: of=patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Give reasons, like «it teaches us to care»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:o3:1
# text = Give reasons, like «it teaches us to care»
1	Give	give	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	reasons	reason	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
4	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	teaches	teach	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
8	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	care	care	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | imperative | you *not said here* | reasons |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **teach** *speech: other* *in a quote* | present | it |  | us |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent we=Recipient |
| 3 | **care** *in a quote* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn care-88.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Make it shorter still

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries:t9:o4:1
# text = Make it shorter still
1	Make	make	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	shorter	short	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	1	xcomp	_	_
4	still	still	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  |  | still | short *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset it=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: [Persuasive letters, newspaper articles…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/t8/)
- next →: [Persuasive letters, newspaper articles…, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/t10/)
- ↑ back to [Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/)