---
title: The neighbour says her husband "marches to the beat of a different d… — Soft words for hard things: stupidity… · tree and pragmatics
description: The neighbour says her husband "marches to the beat of a different drum". Is she complaining about his music? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 36 «Soft words for hard things: stupidity and madness» of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/36-dim-and-round-the-bend/t8/)

<!-- 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: stupidity…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/36-dim-and-round-the-bend/) / t8

# Test 8 · ★ · Soft words for hard things: stupidity and madness

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The neighbour says her husband "marches to the beat of a different drum". Is she complaining about his music?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** neighbour, husband · **What happens:** say, march, complain · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 36 «Soft words for hard things: stupidity and madness» 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/36-dim-and-round-the-bend/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* The neighbour says her husband "marches to the beat of a different drum".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:36-dim-and-round-the-bend:t8:1
# text = The neighbour says her husband "marches to the beat of a different drum".
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	neighbour	neighbour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	marches	march	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	beat	beat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	drum	drum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the neighbour |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **march** *in a quote* | present | neighbour's husband |  |  |  |  | to the beat of a different drum *result* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme to beat=Result |

<!-- .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 she complaining about his music?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:36-dim-and-round-the-bend:t8:2
# text = Is she complaining about his music?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	complaining	complain	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	music	music	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **complain** *speech: other* | present · progressive | neighbour |  |  |  |  | about husband's music | vn complain-37.8 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about music=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, she means he walks very slowly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:36-dim-and-round-the-bend:t8:o1:1
# text = No, she means he walks very slowly
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	6	nsubj	_	_
6	walks	walk	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
7	very	very	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **walk** | present | he |  |  |  |  | slowly *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, he plays the drums too loudly late at night in the shed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:36-dim-and-round-the-bend:t8:o2:1
# text = Yes, he plays the drums too loudly late at night in the shed
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	plays	play	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	drums	drum	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	too	too	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	loudly	loudly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
9	late	late	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	shed	shed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **play** | present | he | the drums |  | the shed | night | late, loudly *property* | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent drum=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, he joined a marching band

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:36-dim-and-round-the-bend:t8:o3:1
# text = Yes, he joined a marching band
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	joined	join	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	marching	marching	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	band	band	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **join** | past | he | a marching band |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent band=Patient |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, she means he does things his own unusual way

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:36-dim-and-round-the-bend:t8:o4:1
# text = No, she means he does things his own unusual way
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	6	nsubj	_	_
6	does	do	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
7	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
9	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	unusual	unusual	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** | present | he | things |  |  |  | his own unusual way *obl:unmarked* | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thing=Eventuality |

<!-- 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: stupidity…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/36-dim-and-round-the-bend/t7/)
- next →: [Soft words for hard things: stupidity…, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/36-dim-and-round-the-bend/t9/)
- ↑ back to [Soft words for hard things: stupidity and madness](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/36-dim-and-round-the-bend/)