---
title: kid at school says his cousin slid down the banister and flew right… — Going up and down stairs safely · tree and pragmatics
description: kid at school says his cousin slid down the banister and flew right out the window, swear down Test 18 of lesson 1 «Going up and down stairs safely» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 18 · Going up and down stairs safely

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
kid at school says his cousin slid down the banister and flew right out the window, swear down

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** kid, cousin · **What happens:** say, slide down, fly, swear down · **To what, where:** banister, window · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 18 of lesson 1 «Going up and down stairs safely» of the everyday 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/everyday/1-stairs/#t18).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:1-stairs:t18:1
# text = kid at school says his cousin slid down the banister and flew right out the window, swear down
1	kid	kid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	at	at	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	slid	slide	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
8	down	down	ADP	RP	_	7	compound:prt	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	banister	banister	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	flew	fly	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
13	right	right	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	out	out	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
18	swear	swear	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
19	down	down	ADP	RP	_	18	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | kid at school |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **slide down** | past | kid's cousin | the banister |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent banister=Agent |
| 3 | **fly** | past | kid's cousin *not said here* | the window |  |  |  | out *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location window=Theme |
| 4 | **swear down** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It must be true, so banisters are safe if there is no window

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:1-stairs:t18:o1:1
# text = It must be true, so banisters are safe if there is no window
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	cop	_	_
4	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	banisters	banister	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
8	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	safe	safe	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
10	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
11	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	12	expl	_	_
12	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
13	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	14	det	_	_
14	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | must | It |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | banisters |  |  |  |  | safe *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | no window |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It means windows near stairs are the only danger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:1-stairs:t18:o2:1
# text = It means windows near stairs are the only danger
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	windows	window	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
4	near	near	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	stairs	stair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	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 a** | present | windows near stairs | the only danger |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is most likely a tall tale; sliding on banisters is still a bad idea

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:1-stairs:t18:o3:1
# text = It is most likely a tall tale; sliding on banisters is still a bad idea
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
3	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
4	likely	likely	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	tall	tall	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
9	sliding	slide	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	16	csubj	_	_
10	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	banisters	banister	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
13	still	still	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a tall tale |  |  |  | likely *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **slide** | gerund |  |  |  | banisters |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on banister=Trajectory |
| 3 | **is a** | present | sliding | a bad idea |  |  | still |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It proves sliding is fine as long as you hold on

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:1-stairs:t18:o4:1
# text = It proves sliding is fine as long as you hold on
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	proves	prove	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	sliding	slide	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
6	as	as	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	5	advmod	_	_
8	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
9	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	hold	hold	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prove** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **slide** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | fine, long *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **hold on** | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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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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- ← previous: [Going up and down stairs safely, test 17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/1-stairs/t17/)
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