---
title: A girl in Halifax is sick on the day she promised to help at the bak… — Promises · tree and pragmatics
description: A girl in Halifax is sick on the day she promised to help at the bake sale. Which choice is best? Test 2 · ★ of lesson 199 «Promises» 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 2 · ★ · Promises

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A girl in Halifax is sick on the day she promised to help at the bake sale. Which choice is best?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** girl, choice · **What happens:** be, promise, help · **To what, where:** day, bake sale

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This is test 2 · ★ of lesson 199 «Promises» 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/199-promises/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A girl in Halifax is sick on the day she promised to help at the bake sale.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:199-promises:t2:1
# text = A girl in Halifax is sick on the day she promised to help at the bake sale.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Halifax	Halifax	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	sick	sick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	promised	promise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	help	help	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	bake	bake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	sale	sale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a girl in Halifax |  |  |  | day | sick *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **promise** *speech: promise* | past | girl | the day *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn promise-37.13 «NP V NP that S»: agent=Agent day=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **help** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | girl *not said here* |  |  | the bake sale |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: 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:* Which choice is best?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:199-promises:t2:2
# text = Which choice is best?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	choice	choice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Not tell anyone, since being ill is not her fault

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:199-promises:t2:o1:1
# text = Not tell anyone, since being ill is not her fault
1	Not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	2	advmod	_	_
2	tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
5	since	since	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
6	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	cop	_	_
7	ill	ill	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	advcl	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
9	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
10	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	fault	fault	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **tell** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* |  | anyone |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent anyone=Recipient |
| 2 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | ill *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **is** | present |  |  |  |  | since her fault |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Message the organiser early to say she cannot come and say sorry

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:199-promises:t2:o2:1
# text = Message the organiser early to say she cannot come and say sorry
1	Message	message	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	organiser	organiser	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	early	early	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	1	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
7	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
8	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	ccomp	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
13	sorry	sorry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **message** | imperative | you *not said here* | the organiser |  |  |  | early *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **not** **come** | can | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **say** *speech: apologize* | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | sorry *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ask her little sister to go instead and not tell anyone about the swap

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:199-promises:t2:o3:1
# text = Ask her little sister to go instead and not tell anyone about the swap
1	Ask	ask	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
3	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	sister	sister	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	go	go	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
7	instead	instead	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
11	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	10	obj	_	_
12	about	about	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	swap	swap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | imperative | you *not said here* |  | her little sister |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP whether S\_INF»: agent=Agent sister=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **go** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | instead *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **tell** *speech: assert* | infinitive | you *not said here* |  | anyone |  |  | about the swap | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent anyone=Recipient about swap=Topic |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Go anyway, even though she has a fever

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:199-promises:t2:o4:1
# text = Go anyway, even though she has a fever
1	Go	go	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	anyway	anyway	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
4	even	even	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	though	though	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	fever	fever	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | anyway *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **have** | present | she | a fever |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fever=Patient |

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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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