---
title: Identify the meaning most accurately conveyed by the expression "a l… — Soft words for hard things: pregnancy… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the meaning most accurately conveyed by the expression "a little one on the way" when employed in respect of a family member. Exam question 1 of lesson 11 «Soft words for hard things: pregnancy and birth» of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragma
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/e1/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Euphemisms](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/) / [Soft words for hard things: pregnancy…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/) / e1

# Exam question 1 · Soft words for hard things: pregnancy and birth

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the meaning most accurately conveyed by the expression "a little one on the way" when employed in respect of a family member.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify, convey, employ, respect · **To what, where:** meaning, respect, family member

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 11 «Soft words for hard things: pregnancy and birth» of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:11-pregnancy-and-birth:e1:1
# text = Identify the meaning most accurately conveyed by the expression "a little one on the way" when employed in respect of a family member.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	5	advmod	_	_
5	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	conveyed	convey	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	expression	expression	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	appos	_	_
14	on	on	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
18	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	19	advmod	_	_
19	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
20	in	in	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	respect	respect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl	_	_
22	of	of	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
23	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
24	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	compound	_	_
25	member	member	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the meaning |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent meaning=Theme |
| 2 | **convey** | participle |  | the meaning *not said here* |  |  |  | by the expression; accurately *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **employ** | participle |  |  |  | respect of a family member |  |  | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **respect** |  |  | a family member |  |  |  |  | nom respect «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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.

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A child is expected to be born

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:11-pregnancy-and-birth:e1:o1:1
# text = A child is expected to be born
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	expected	expect	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	born	bear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **expect** | present · passive |  | a child |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **bear** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive · passive | a child *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S» |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A young child is walking towards the house

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:11-pregnancy-and-birth:e1:o2:1
# text = A young child is walking towards the house
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	walking	walk	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	towards	towards	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **walk** | present · progressive | a young child |  |  | the house |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme towards house=Destination |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A minor parcel is in transit

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:11-pregnancy-and-birth:e1:o3:1
# text = A minor parcel is in transit
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	minor	minor	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	parcel	parcel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	transit	transit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A small visitor is approaching

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:11-pregnancy-and-birth:e1:o4:1
# text = A small visitor is approaching
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	visitor	visitor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	approaching	approach	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **approach** | present · progressive | a small visitor |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Soft words for hard things: pregnancy…, test 13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/t13/)
- next →: [Soft words for hard things: pregnancy…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Soft words for hard things: pregnancy and birth](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/)