---
title: A cartoon judge says, "Changing your mind means you lost, so never d… — Debating and discussion · tree and pragmatics
description: A cartoon judge says, "Changing your mind means you lost, so never do it." Fix it. Test 4 · ★ of lesson 49 «Debating and discussion» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 4 · ★ · Debating and discussion

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cartoon judge says, "Changing your mind means you lost, so never do it." Fix it.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cartoon judge, Changing, you, your · **What happens:** say, change, mean, lose, not do, mind · **To what, where:** mind · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ of lesson 49 «Debating and discussion» 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/49-debating-and-discussion/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cartoon judge says, "Changing your mind means you lost, so never do it."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:49-debating-and-discussion:t4:1
# text = A cartoon judge says, "Changing your mind means you lost, so never do it."
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	judge	judge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Changing	change	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	csubj	_	_
8	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	mind	mind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
11	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	so	so	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
15	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
16	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
17	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a cartoon judge |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **change** *in a quote* | gerund |  | your mind |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient |
| 3 | **mean** *in a quote* | present | Changing |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **lose** *in a quote* | past | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **not** **do** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | mind |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |
| 6 | **mind** *in a quote* |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom mind «cognition transitive»: 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:* Fix it.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:49-debating-and-discussion:t4:2
# text = Fix it.
1	Fix	fix	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fix** | imperative | you *not said here* | mind |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cartoon is right; good thinkers never change

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:49-debating-and-discussion:t4:o1:1
# text = The cartoon is right; good thinkers never change
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	thinkers	thinker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
8	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	change	change	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the cartoon |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **change** | present | good thinkers |  |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only teachers are allowed to change their minds

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:49-debating-and-discussion:t4:o2:1
# text = Only teachers are allowed to change their minds
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	teachers	teacher	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	change	change	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	minds	mind	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allow** | present · passive |  | teachers |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **change** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | teachers *not said here* | teachers's minds |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient |
| 3 | **mind** |  | teachers *= teacher* |  |  |  |  |  | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Changing it for a better reason is a strength

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:49-debating-and-discussion:t4:o3:1
# text = Changing it for a better reason is a strength
1	Changing	change	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	better	good	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	amod	_	_
6	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	strength	strength	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | gerund |  | it |  |  |  | for a better reason | vn exchange-13.6.1 «NP V NP PP.co-theme»: agent=Agent it=Theme for reason=Co-Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | present | Changing | a strength |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
You may only change your mind after the vote

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:49-debating-and-discussion:t4:o4:1
# text = You may only change your mind after the vote
1	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	change	change	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	mind	mind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	after	after	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	vote	vote	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | may | You | your mind |  |  | after the vote |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mind=Patient |
| 2 | **mind** |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom mind «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

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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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