---
title: Mate: "lol my brother says a surgical strike means the army docs go… — Soft words for hard things: war, the m… · tree and pragmatics
description: Mate: "lol my brother says a surgical strike means the army docs go on strike, right?" Is he right? Test 6 · ★ of lesson 26 «Soft words for hard things: war, the military and violence» of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of e
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/t6/)

<!-- 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: war, the m…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/) / t6

# Test 6 · ★ · Soft words for hard things: war, the military and violence

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mate: "lol my brother says a surgical strike means the army docs go on strike, right?" Is he right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** brother, surgical strike, army docs · **What happens:** say, mean, go, be · **To what, where:** strike · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★ of lesson 26 «Soft words for hard things: war, the military and violence» of the euphemisms 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/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Mate: "lol my brother says a surgical strike means the army docs go on strike, right?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:26-war-and-the-military:t6:1
# text = Mate: "lol my brother says a surgical strike means the army docs go on strike, right?"
1	Mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	lol	lol	INTJ	UH	_	7	discourse	_	_
5	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	surgical	surgical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	strike	strike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	army	army	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	docs	doc	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	go	go	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	ccomp	_	_
16	on	on	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	strike	strike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
19	right	right	INTJ	UH	_	11	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: ask* *in a quote* | present | my brother |  |  |  |  | Mate *vocative* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **mean** *in a quote* | present | a surgical strike |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **go** *in a quote* | present | the army docs |  |  | strike |  |  | vn occur-48.3-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme on strike=Location |

<!-- .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:* Is he right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:26-war-and-the-military:t6:2
# text = Is he right?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, the army doctors stop working

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:26-war-and-the-military:t6:o1:1
# text = Yes, the army doctors stop working
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	army	army	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	doctors	doctor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	stop	stop	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	working	work	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | present | the army doctors |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **work** | gerund | the army doctors *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it is a punch in a boxing match

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:26-war-and-the-military:t6:o2:1
# text = No, it is a punch in a boxing match
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	punch	punch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	boxing	boxing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	match	match	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it is a strike at a hospital

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:26-war-and-the-military:t6:o3:1
# text = Yes, it is a strike at a hospital
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	strike	strike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	hospital	hospital	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it is a bombing claimed to hit only its target

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:26-war-and-the-military:t6:o4:1
# text = No, it is a bombing claimed to hit only its target
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	bombing	bombing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	claimed	claim	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	hit	hit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
10	only	only	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	target	target	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | it | a bombing |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **claim** *speech: other* | participle |  | a bombing *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **hit** | to-infinitive |  | bombing's target |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme target=Co-Theme |
| 4 | **target** |  | bombing |  |  |  |  |  | nom target «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- 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: war, the m…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/t5/)
- next →: [Soft words for hard things: war, the m…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/t7/)
- ↑ back to [Soft words for hard things: war, the military and violence](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/)