---
title: Your friend says that breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luc… — Chores and broken things · tree and pragmatics
description: Your friend says that breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck. What is the truth? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 111 «Chores and broken things» 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 7 · ★ · Chores and broken things

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your friend says that breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck. What is the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** friend, breaking, truth · **What happens:** say, break, mean, be · **To what, where:** mirror · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 111 «Chores and broken things» 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/111-chores-and-broken-things/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your friend says that breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:111-chores-and-broken-things:t7:1
# text = Your friend says that breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck.
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	breaking	break	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	csubj	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	mirror	mirror	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
9	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	10	nummod	_	_
10	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	luck	luck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your friend |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **break** | gerund |  | a mirror |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer mirror=Patient |
| 3 | **mean** | present | breaking |  |  |  | year |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is the truth?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:111-chores-and-broken-things:t7:2
# text = What is the truth?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is true, but only for small mirrors that break in the bathroom

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:111-chores-and-broken-things:t7:o1:1
# text = It is true, but only for small mirrors that break in the bathroom
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
6	only	only	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	mirrors	mirror	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	parataxis	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	break	break	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	bathroom	bathroom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **break** | present | small mirrors |  |  | the bathroom |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in bathroom=Location |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It brings seven weeks, not seven years

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:111-chores-and-broken-things:t7:o2:1
# text = It brings seven weeks, not seven years
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	brings	bring	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nummod	_	_
4	weeks	week	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
7	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bring** | present | It |  |  |  | week; year |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a superstition; only the broken glass is a danger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:111-chores-and-broken-things:t7:o3:1
# text = It is a superstition; only the broken glass is a danger
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	superstition	superstition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
6	only	only	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	appos	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a superstition |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **break** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **is a** | present | the broken glass | a danger |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is true unless you say sorry

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:111-chores-and-broken-things:t7:o4:1
# text = It is true unless you say sorry
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	unless	unless	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
7	sorry	sorry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* *a condition, not said to happen* | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

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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: [Chores and broken things, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/111-chores-and-broken-things/t6/)
- next →: [Chores and broken things, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/111-chores-and-broken-things/t8/)
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