---
title: «b and d again!! is something wrong with him?» Ben's mum is worried.… — Handwriting: holding the pencil and jo… · tree and pragmatics
description: «b and d again!! is something wrong with him?» Ben's mum is worried. What is the calm answer? Test 3 of lesson 5 «Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up» 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 
---

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# Test 3 · Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«b and d again!! is something wrong with him?» Ben's mum is worried. What is the calm answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** b, mum, calm answer · **What happens:** be · **To what, where:** something

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 of lesson 5 «Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up» 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/5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «b and d again!! is something wrong with him?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:1
# text = «b and d again!! is something wrong with him?»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	b	B	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	d	D	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
5	again	again	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	!!	!!	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
9	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | b and d | something |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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:* Ben's mum is worried.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:2
# text = Ben's mum is worried.
1	Ben	Ben	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	worried	worried	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Ben's mum |  |  |  |  | worried *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is the calm answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:3
# text = What is the calm answer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	calm	calm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the calm answer |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it means he's very clever

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:o1:1
# text = No, it means he's very clever
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	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	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	very	very	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	clever	clever	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | 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 |
| 2 | **is** | present | he |  |  |  |  | clever *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's common up to about seven; try the «bed» trick

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:o2:1
# text = It's common up to about seven; try the «bed» trick
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	up	up	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	4	fixed	_	_
6	about	about	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
9	try	try	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
11	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	bed	bed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
14	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | up seven; common *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **try** | infinitive |  | the bed trick |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent trick=Eventuality |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it always means a serious problem

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:o3:1
# text = Yes, it always means a serious problem
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	5	advmod	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	serious	serious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, and he should stop writing for a year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:t3:o4:1
# text = Yes, and he should stop writing for a year
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
4	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	stop	stop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	writing	write	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	xcomp	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | should | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **write** | gerund | he *not said here* |  |  |  | year |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=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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- ↑ back to [Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up/)