---
title: Ella says, "'The old man the boat' isn't even a sentence!" Put her r… — Olympiad: tricky comprehension · tree and pragmatics
description: Ella says, "'The old man the boat' isn't even a sentence!" Put her right. Test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 60 «Olympiad: tricky comprehension» 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 3 · ★★★ · Olympiad: tricky comprehension

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ella says, "'The old man the boat' isn't even a sentence!" Put her right.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Ella, old man, you · **What happens:** say, not be, put · **To what, where:** sentence, Ella · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 60 «Olympiad: tricky comprehension» 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/60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ella says, "'The old man the boat' isn't even a sentence!"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension:t3:1
# text = Ella says, "'The old man the boat' isn't even a sentence!"
1	Ella	Ella	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
14	even	even	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: express* | present | Ella |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **is a** *in a quote* | present | the old man  the boat | a sentence |  |  |  |  | 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:* Put her right.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension:t3:2
# text = Put her right.
1	Put	put	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	right	right	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | imperative | you *not said here* |  | Ella |  |  | right *property* | vn invest-13.5.4-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent she=Goal |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is: old people crew the boat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension:t3:o1:1
# text = It is: old people crew the boat
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	crew	crew	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's about one old man, so it's fine

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension:t3:o2:1
# text = It's about one old man, so it's fine
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	about	about	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	expl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | one old man |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | one old man *not said here* |  |  |  |  | fine *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She's right: it has no verb at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension:t3:o3:1
# text = She's right: it has no verb at all
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	csubj	_	_
7	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	8	det	_	_
8	verb	verb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | She |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | it | no verb |  | all |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent verb=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It only works with "is" after "man"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension:t3:o4:1
# text = It only works with "is" after "man"
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
8	after	after	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **work** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  |  |  | with man | tree rules |

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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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