---
title: Dad, bit grumpy: "Read it again, I said commas, not confetti." What… — Commas: lists, clauses and clarity · tree and pragmatics
description: Dad, bit grumpy: "Read it again, I said commas, not confetti." What is he telling his son? Test 9 of lesson 33 «Commas: lists, clauses and clarity» 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 · Commas: lists, clauses and clarity

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad, bit grumpy: "Read it again, I said commas, not confetti." What is he telling his son?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** I, Dad · **What happens:** read, say, tell · **To what, where:** bit, commas, son · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 33 «Commas: lists, clauses and clarity» 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/33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Dad, bit grumpy: "Read it again, I said commas, not confetti."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity:t9:1
# text = Dad, bit grumpy: "Read it again, I said commas, not confetti."
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
3	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
4	grumpy	grumpy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	7	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Read	read	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	again	again	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
13	commas	comma	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
16	confetti	confetti	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | bit |  |  | again |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | I | commas and confetti |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent comma=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 he telling his son?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity:t9:2
# text = What is he telling his son?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	telling	tell	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present · progressive | Dad |  | Dad's son |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent what=Recipient son=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Commas are for parties

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity:t9:o1:1
# text = Commas are for parties
1	Commas	comma	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Throw away all his commas

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity:t9:o2:1
# text = Throw away all his commas
1	Throw	throw	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	away	away	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
3	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	5	det:predet	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	commas	comma	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **throw away** | imperative | you *not said here* | his commas |  |  |  | away *property* | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent comma=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Use far more commas in every sentence he writes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity:t9:o3:1
# text = Use far more commas in every sentence he writes
1	Use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	3	advmod	_	_
3	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	4	amod	_	_
4	commas	comma	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	writes	write	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | imperative | you *not said here* | more commas |  | every sentence |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent comma=Patient |
| 2 | **write** | present | he | every sentence *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sentence=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Use commas only where a rule needs them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity:t9:o4:1
# text = Use commas only where a rule needs them
1	Use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	commas	comma	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
4	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	7	advmod	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	needs	need	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl	_	_
8	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | imperative | you *not said here* | commas |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent comma=Patient |
| 2 | **need** | present | a rule | commas *= comma* |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot they=Theme |

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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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