---
title: A Gen Z cousin writes: "I'm dead," she laughed. ("I'm dead" means th… — Direct speech: inverted commas and new… · tree and pragmatics
description: A Gen Z cousin writes: "I'm dead," she laughed. ("I'm dead" means that's so funny.) Is the punctuation right? Test 6 of lesson 35 «Direct speech: inverted commas and new speakers» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opti
---

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# Test 6 · Direct speech: inverted commas and new speakers

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Gen Z cousin writes: "I'm dead," she laughed. ("I'm dead" means that's so funny.) Is the punctuation right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Z cousin, I, cousin, that · **What happens:** write, be, laugh, mean · **To what, where:** punctuation · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 of lesson 35 «Direct speech: inverted commas and new speakers» 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/35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A Gen Z cousin writes: "I'm dead," she laughed.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:1
# text = A Gen Z cousin writes: "I'm dead," she laughed.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	Gen	gen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	Z	z	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	writes	write	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	10	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	_
13	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	laughed	laugh	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | present | a Z cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | I |  |  |  |  | dead *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **laugh** | past | cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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:* ("I'm dead" means that's so funny.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:2
# text = ("I'm dead" means that's so funny.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	csubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	funny	funny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | I |  |  |  |  | dead *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | that |  |  |  |  | funny *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Is the punctuation right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:3
# text = Is the punctuation right?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	punctuation	punctuation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	right	right	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, the comma is inside the marks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:o1:1
# text = Yes, the comma is inside the marks
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	comma	comma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	inside	inside	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	marks	mark	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only because she laughed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:o2:1
# text = Yes, but only because she laughed
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	laughed	laugh	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, slang can't go in speech marks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:o3:1
# text = No, slang can't go in speech marks
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	slang	slang	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	marks	mark	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **go** | can | slang |  |  | speech marks |  |  | vn occur-48.3-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme in mark=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the comma must go outside the marks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers:t6:o4:1
# text = No, the comma must go outside the marks
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	comma	comma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	outside	outside	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	marks	mark	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | must | the comma |  |  | the marks |  |  | vn occur-48.3-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme outside mark=Location |

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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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- ← previous: [Direct speech: inverted commas and new…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers/t5/)
- next →: [Direct speech: inverted commas and new…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers/t7/)
- ↑ back to [Direct speech: inverted commas and new speakers](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers/)