---
title: Nan in Belfast, dry: "You need three things, love: coat, hat, and st… — Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons a… · tree and pragmatics
description: Nan in Belfast, dry: "You need three things, love: coat, hat, and stop moaning." What does the colon do? Test 7 · ★★★ 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 op
---

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# Test 7 · ★★★ · Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons and hyphens

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nan in Belfast, dry: "You need three things, love: coat, hat, and stop moaning." What does the colon do?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** You, colon · **What happens:** need, stop, moan, do · **To what, where:** three things

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★★ 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/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Nan in Belfast, dry: "You need three things, love: coat, hat, and stop moaning."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t7:1
# text = Nan in Belfast, dry: "You need three things, love: coat, hat, and stop moaning."
1	Nan	Nan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	Belfast	Belfast	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
10	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	11	nummod	_	_
11	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	15	punct	_	_
15	coat	coat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
17	hat	hat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	stop	stop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	conj	_	_
21	moaning	moan	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	20	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** *in a quote* | present | You | three things |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot thing=Theme |
| 2 | **stop** *in a quote* | infinitive | You *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **moan** *in a quote* | gerund | You *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «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:* What does the colon do?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t7:2
# text = What does the colon do?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	colon	colon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present · do-support | the colon |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It ends Nan's question

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t7:o1:1
# text = It ends Nan's question
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	ends	end	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	Nan	Nan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **end** | present | It | Nan's question |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Subeventuality question=Eventuality |
| 2 | **question** |  | Nan |  |  |  |  |  | nom question «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It introduces the list after a full clause

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t7:o2:1
# text = It introduces the list after a full clause
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	introduces	introduce	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	list	list	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	after	after	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	clause	clause	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **introduce** | present | It | the list |  |  | after a full clause |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent list=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It shows missing letters in "love"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t7:o3:1
# text = It shows missing letters in "love"
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	shows	show	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	missing	missing	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present | It | missing letters |  |  |  | in love | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient PP.theme»: agent=Agent letter=Patient in love=Topic |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It joins two words into one word

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens:t7:o4:1
# text = It joins two words into one word
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	joins	join	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nummod	_	_
4	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **join** | present | It | two words |  |  |  | into one word | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: agent=Agent word=Patient into word=Co-Patient |

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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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