---
title: Your mate goes "brackets are for stuff that doesn't matter, so the t… — Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons a… · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate goes "brackets are for stuff that doesn't matter, so the teacher skips it." What is truer? Test 1 · ★★★ of lesson 36 «Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons and hyphens» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option
---

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# Test 1 · ★★★ · Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons and hyphens

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate goes "brackets are for stuff that doesn't matter, so the teacher skips it." What is truer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, brackets, stuff, teacher · **What happens:** go, be, not matter, skip · **To what, where:** mate

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★★ of lesson 36 «Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons and hyphens» 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/36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate goes "brackets are for stuff that doesn't matter, so the teacher skips it."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t1:1
# text = Your mate goes "brackets are for stuff that doesn't matter, so the teacher skips it."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	brackets	bracket	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	stuff	stuff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
10	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
14	so	so	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
17	skips	skip	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | present | Your mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | brackets |  |  |  |  | for stuff | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **matter** *in a quote* | present · do-support | stuff |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **skip** *in a quote* | present | the teacher | mate |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=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:* What is truer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t1:2
# text = What is truer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	truer	true	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is extra detail that the sentence can stand without

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t1:o1:1
# text = It is extra detail that the sentence can stand without
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	extra	extra	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	detail	detail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	obj	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	stand	stand	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
10	without	without	ADP	IN	_	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | extra detail |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **stand** | can | the sentence | extra detail |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer that=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Brackets mean the words inside them are spelled wrong

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t1:o2:1
# text = Brackets mean the words inside them are spelled wrong
1	Brackets	bracket	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	mean	mean	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	inside	inside	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nmod	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	spelled	spell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	ccomp	_	_
9	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Brackets |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **spell** | present · passive |  | the words inside Brackets |  |  |  | wrong *property* | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP ADVP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Brackets turn a sentence into a question

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t1:o3:1
# text = Brackets turn a sentence into a question
1	Brackets	bracket	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	turn	turn	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | Brackets | a sentence |  | a question |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent sentence=Theme into question=Trajectory |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Teachers never read anything in brackets

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t1:o4:1
# text = Teachers never read anything in brackets
1	Teachers	teacher	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	read	read	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	brackets	bracket	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **read** | past | Teachers | anything |  | brackets |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Topic |

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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…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers/e4/)
- next →: [Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons a…, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens/t2/)
- ↑ back to [Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons and hyphens](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens/)