---
title: A Gen Alpha cousin says "This cake is bussin', it's giving birthday.… — Describing: senses, showing and precis… · tree and pragmatics
description: A Gen Alpha cousin says "This cake is bussin', it's giving birthday." ("Bussin'" means really good.) In a story, which line shows the cake best? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 41 «Describing: senses, showing and precise words» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragma
---

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# Test 7 · ★ · Describing: senses, showing and precise words

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Gen Alpha cousin says "This cake is bussin', it's giving birthday." ("Bussin'" means really good.) In a story, which line shows the cake best?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Gen cousin, cake, Bussin, line · **What happens:** say, be, give, mean, show · **To what, where:** birthday, cake · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 41 «Describing: senses, showing and precise words» 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/41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A Gen Alpha cousin says "This cake is bussin', it's giving birthday."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:1
# text = A Gen Alpha cousin says "This cake is bussin', it's giving birthday."
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	Gen	Gen	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
3	Alpha	Alpha	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	flat	_	_
4	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	This	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	8	det	_	_
8	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	bussin	bussin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	',	',	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	giving	give	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	ccomp	_	_
15	birthday	birthday	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a Gen cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | this cake |  |  |  |  | bussin *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **give** *in a quote* | present · progressive | cake | birthday |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent birthday=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:* ("Bussin'" means really good.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:2
# text = ("Bussin'" means really good.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Bussin	Bussin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	really	really	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Bussin |  |  |  |  | good *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* In a story, which line shows the cake best?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:3
# text = In a story, which line shows the cake best?
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	6	det	_	_
6	line	line	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	shows	show	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present | which line | the cake  best |  |  |  | in a story | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient PP.theme»: agent=Agent cake=Patient in story=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cake was a cake that was really cake.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:o1:1
# text = The cake was a cake that was really cake.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	really	really	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the cake | a cake and cake |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** | past | that | cake |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cake was bussin' and very nice and very good and nice.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:o2:1
# text = The cake was bussin' and very nice and very good and nice.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	bussin	bussin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	very	very	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	nice	nice	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	very	very	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	conj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	nice	nice	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the cake |  |  |  |  | bussin *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | the cake *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was giving cake, the cake was cakey.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:o3:1
# text = It was giving cake, the cake was cakey.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	giving	give	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	cakey	cakey	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | past · progressive | It | cake |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cake=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | the cake |  |  |  |  | cakey *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The icing was thick and the sponge still warm.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words:t7:o4:1
# text = The icing was thick and the sponge still warm.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	thick	thick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	sponge	sponge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	still	still	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	warm	warm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the icing |  |  |  |  | thick *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | the sponge |  |  |  | still |  | 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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