--- title: A girl from Texas says "I'm fixin' to go." ("Fixin' to" means about… — Standard English and dialect: "we was"… · tree and pragmatics description: A girl from Texas says "I'm fixin' to go." ("Fixin' to" means about to.) Is that Standard English? Test 11 · ★ of lesson 38 «Standard English and dialect: "we was" in talk, "we were" in writing» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question a --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/t11/) [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/) / [Standard English and dialect: "we was"…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/) / t11 # Test 11 · ★ · Standard English and dialect: "we was" in talk, "we were"… A girl from Texas says "I'm fixin' to go." ("Fixin' to" means about to.) Is that Standard English? **Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** girl, Fixin · **What happens:** say, fixin, go, mean, be · **To what, where:** Standard English · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is test 11 · ★ of lesson 38 «Standard English and dialect: "we was" in talk, "we were" in writing» 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/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/#t11). ## The question {#question} *Sentence 1:* A girl from Texas says "I'm fixin' to go." ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:1 # text = A girl from Texas says "I'm fixin' to go." 1 A a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 2 det _ _ 2 girl girl NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 nsubj _ _ 3 from from ADP IN _ 4 case _ _ 4 Texas Texas PROPN NNP Number=Sing 2 nmod _ _ 5 says say VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 6 " " PUNCT `` _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 7 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 9 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 8 'm be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 9 aux _ _ 9 fixin fixin VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 5 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 10 ' ' PUNCT '' _ 9 punct _ _ 11 to to PART TO _ 12 mark _ _ 12 go go VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 9 xcomp _ SpaceAfter=No 13 . . PUNCT . _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 14 " " PUNCT '' _ 9 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a girl from Texas | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 2 | **fixin** *in a quote* | present · progressive | a girl from Texas *= girl* | | | | | | tree rules | | 3 | **go** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | a girl from Texas *= girl* *not said here* | | | | | | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | 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. *Sentence 2:* ("Fixin' to" means about to.) ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:2 # text = ("Fixin' to" means about to.) 1 ( ( PUNCT -LRB- _ 7 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 2 " " PUNCT `` _ 3 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 3 Fixin Fixin PROPN NNP Number=Sing 7 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 4 ' ' PUNCT '' _ 3 punct _ _ 5 to to PART TO _ 3 flat _ SpaceAfter=No 6 " " PUNCT '' _ 3 punct _ _ 7 means mean VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 8 about about ADV RB _ 7 advmod _ _ 9 to to PART TO _ 8 fixed _ SpaceAfter=No 10 . . PUNCT . _ 7 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 11 ) ) PUNCT -RRB- _ 7 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **mean** | present | Fixin | | | | | about *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent | *Sentence 3:* Is that Standard English? ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:3 # text = Is that Standard English? 1 Is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 4 cop _ _ 2 that that SCONJ IN _ 4 mark _ _ 3 Standard Standard PROPN NNP Number=Sing 4 compound _ _ 4 English English PROPN NNP Number=Sing 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 5 ? ? PUNCT . _ 4 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | | Standard English | | | | | tree rules | ## The options {#options} ### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1} Yes, but only in writing ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:o1:1 # text = Yes, but only in writing 1 Yes yes INTJ UH Polarity=Pos 6 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 2 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 3 but but CCONJ CC _ 6 cc _ _ 4 only only ADV RB _ 6 advmod _ _ 5 in in ADP IN _ 6 case _ _ 6 writing writing NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ ``` The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence. ### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2} No, it's Southern US dialect for "I'm about to go" ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:o2:1 # text = No, it's Southern US dialect for "I'm about to go" 1 No no INTJ UH Polarity=Neg 7 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 2 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 3 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 7 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 4 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 7 cop _ _ 5 Southern southern ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 7 amod _ _ 6 US US PROPN NNP Number=Sing 7 compound _ _ 7 dialect dialect NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ 8 for for SCONJ IN _ 14 mark _ _ 9 " " PUNCT `` _ 14 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 10 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 14 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 11 'm be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 14 aux _ _ 12 about about ADV RB _ 14 advmod _ _ 13 to to PART TO _ 14 mark _ _ 14 go go VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 7 acl _ SpaceAfter=No 15 " " PUNCT '' _ 14 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | it | Southern US dialect | | | | | tree rules | | 2 | **go** *in a quote* | present | I | | | | | about *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | ### Option 3 {#o3} Yes, it's the standard form in every English-speaking country ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:o3:1 # text = Yes, it's the standard form in every English-speaking country 1 Yes yes INTJ UH Polarity=Pos 7 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 2 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 3 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 7 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 4 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 7 cop _ _ 5 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 7 det _ _ 6 standard standard ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 7 amod _ _ 7 form form NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ 8 in in ADP IN _ 13 case _ _ 9 every every DET DT PronType=Tot 13 det _ _ 10 English English ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 12 compound _ SpaceAfter=No 11 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 10 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 12 speaking speak VERB VBG VerbForm=Ger 13 amod _ _ 13 country country NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 nmod _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | it | the standard form | | every speaking country | | | tree rules | | 2 | **speak** *speech: other* | gerund | | | | | | | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent | ### Option 4 {#o4} No, it means she is going to repair something ```conllu # sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t11:o4:1 # text = No, it means she is going to repair something 1 No no INTJ UH Polarity=Neg 4 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 2 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 3 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 4 nsubj _ _ 4 means mean VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 5 she she PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 7 nsubj _ _ 6 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 7 aux _ _ 7 going go VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 4 ccomp _ _ 8 to to PART TO _ 9 mark _ _ 9 repair repair VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 7 xcomp _ _ 10 something something PRON NN Number=Sing|PronType=Ind 9 obj _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **mean** | present | it | | | | | | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 2 | **go** | present · progressive | she | | | | | | vn say-37.7 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 3 | **repair** | to-infinitive | she *not said here* | something | | | | | vn remedy-45.7 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent something=Patient | **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. - ← previous: [Standard English and dialect: "we was"…, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/t10/) - next →: [Standard English and dialect: "we was"…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/e1/) - ↑ back to [Standard English and dialect: "we was" in talk, "we were" in writing](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/)