---
title: ★★★ "I didn't see nobody." Many languages, such as French and Spanis… — Standard English and dialect: "we was"… · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★★ "I didn't see nobody." Many languages, such as French and Spanish, use two negatives like this as standard. What does that show? Test 9 · ★ 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
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Standard English and dialect: "we was" in talk, "we were"…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★★ "I didn't see nobody." Many languages, such as French and Spanish, use two negatives like this as standard. What does that show?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** I, Many languages, that · **What happens:** not see, use, show · **To what, where:** nobody, two negatives

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★★★ "I didn't see nobody."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:1
# text = ★★★ "I didn't see nobody."
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	★	★	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
6	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	appos	_	_
9	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **see** *in a quote* | past · do-support | I | nobody |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer nobody=Stimulus |

<!-- .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:* Many languages, such as French and Spanish, use two negatives like this as standard.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:2
# text = Many languages, such as French and Spanish, use two negatives like this as standard.
1	Many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	languages	language	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	6	case	_	_
5	as	as	ADP	IN	_	4	fixed	_	_
6	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	Spanish	Spanish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
10	use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
12	negatives	negative	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	_
13	like	like	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	12	nmod	_	_
15	as	as	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	standard	standard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | infinitive | Many languages such French | two negatives |  |  |  | like this; as standard | vn spend\_time-104 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent negative=Duration as standard=Attribute |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What does that show?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:3
# text = What does that show?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
4	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present · do-support | that |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent what=Recipient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
French and Spanish copied English dialects

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:o1:1
# text = French and Spanish copied English dialects
1	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	Spanish	Spanish	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	conj	_	_
4	copied	copy	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	English	English	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	dialects	dialect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **copy** | past | French and Spanish | English dialects |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dialect=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They mean "I saw somebody" in every dialect

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:o2:1
# text = They mean "I saw somebody" in every dialect
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	mean	mean	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	somebody	somebody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	dialect	dialect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **see** *in a quote* | past | I | somebody |  | every dialect |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer somebody=Stimulus |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Double negatives are a real pattern, but not standard English

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:o3:1
# text = Double negatives are a real pattern, but not standard English
1	Double	double	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	negatives	negative	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	pattern	pattern	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	standard	standard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Double negatives | a real pattern |  |  |  | standard English *nmod* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Double negatives are wrong in every language in the world

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were:t9:o4:1
# text = Double negatives are wrong in every language in the world
1	Double	double	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	negatives	negative	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	world	world	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Double negatives |  |  | every language in the world |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**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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- ↑ 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/)