---
title: A lad from Glasgow, bit gallus ("gallus" means cocky), says "Ma firs… — Editing and redrafting · tree and pragmatics
description: A lad from Glasgow, bit gallus ("gallus" means cocky), says "Ma first draft's perfect, nae changes." What would a good editor ask? Test 6 of lesson 43 «Editing and redrafting» 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 6 · Editing and redrafting

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A lad from Glasgow, bit gallus ("gallus" means cocky), says "Ma first draft's perfect, nae changes." What would a good editor ask?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** gallus, lad, draft, good editor · **What happens:** mean, say, change, ask · **To what, where:** Ma · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 of lesson 43 «Editing and redrafting» 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/43-editing-and-redrafting/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A lad from Glasgow, bit gallus ("gallus" means cocky), says "Ma first draft's perfect, nae changes."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:43-editing-and-redrafting:t6:1
# text = A lad from Glasgow, bit gallus ("gallus" means cocky), says "Ma first draft's perfect, nae changes."
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	lad	lad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Glasgow	Glasgow	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	gallus	gallus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
8	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	gallus	gallus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
12	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	parataxis	_	_
13	cocky	cocky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
16	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
17	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	Ma	ma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	_
19	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	16	advmod	_	_
20	draft	draft	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	's	's	PART	POS	_	20	case	_	_
22	perfect	perfect	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
24	nae	nae	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	_
25	changes	change	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	25	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	25	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | gallus |  |  |  |  | cocky *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a lad from Glasgow and bit gallus | Ma |  |  |  | first *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **change** *in a quote* |  | draft |  |  |  |  |  | nom change «event intransitive»: poss=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 would a good editor ask?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:43-editing-and-redrafting:t6:2
# text = What would a good editor ask?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	editor	editor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	ask	ask	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | would | a good editor |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent what=Recipient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why not use a different pen?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:43-editing-and-redrafting:t6:o1:1
# text = Why not use a different pen?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	advmod	_	_
2	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	pen	pen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **use** | imperative | you *not said here* | a different pen |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent pen=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Have you read it aloud to check?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:43-editing-and-redrafting:t6:o2:1
# text = Have you read it aloud to check?
1	Have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	aloud	aloud	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	check	check	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | present | you | it |  |  |  | aloud *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **check** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why did you write it at all?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:43-editing-and-redrafting:t6:o3:1
# text = Why did you write it at all?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	write	write	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | past · do-support | you | it |  | all |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Can you make it shorter by half?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:43-editing-and-redrafting:t6:o4:1
# text = Can you make it shorter by half?
1	Can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	shorter	short	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	xcomp	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	half	half	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing|NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | can | you | it |  |  |  | short *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Product |

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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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