---
title: Children stuff toilet paper into a school toilet as a prank. Why is… — Pranks: harmless fun or real harm? · tree and pragmatics
description: Children stuff toilet paper into a school toilet as a prank. Why is this wrong? Test 5 · ★★ of lesson 204 «Pranks: harmless fun or real harm?» 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 right.
---

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# Test 5 · ★★ · Pranks: harmless fun or real harm?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Children stuff toilet paper into a school toilet as a prank. Why is this wrong?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Children, this · **What happens:** stuff, be · **To what, where:** toilet paper, school toilet

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This is test 5 · ★★ of lesson 204 «Pranks: harmless fun or real harm?» 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/204-pranks/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Children stuff toilet paper into a school toilet as a prank.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:204-pranks:t5:1
# text = Children stuff toilet paper into a school toilet as a prank.
1	Children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	stuff	stuff	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	toilet	toilet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	paper	paper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	toilet	toilet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
9	as	as	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	prank	prank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stuff** | present | Children | toilet paper |  | a school toilet |  | as a prank | vn spray-9.7-2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent paper=Theme into toilet=Destination |

<!-- .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:* Why is this wrong?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:204-pranks:t5:2
# text = Why is this wrong?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	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 | this |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Toilet paper is far too expensive for a school to waste on a joke

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:204-pranks:t5:o1:1
# text = Toilet paper is far too expensive for a school to waste on a joke
1	Toilet	toilet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	paper	paper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	6	advmod	_	_
5	too	too	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	expensive	expensive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	waste	waste	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
12	on	on	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Toilet paper |  |  |  |  | for a school; expensive, far *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **waste** | to-infinitive | Toilet paper *not said here* |  |  |  |  | on a joke *goal* | vn consume-66-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent on joke=Goal |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It only matters if the toilet floods the whole corridor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:204-pranks:t5:o2:1
# text = It only matters if the toilet floods the whole corridor
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	matters	matter	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	toilet	toilet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	floods	flood	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	corridor	corridor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **matter** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **flood** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | the toilet | the whole corridor |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent corridor=Patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Someone has to clean or pay for it, and it can be a crime

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:204-pranks:t5:o3:1
# text = Someone has to clean or pay for it, and it can be a crime
1	Someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	conj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
12	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	cop	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	crime	crime	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Someone |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **clean** | to-infinitive | Someone *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **pay** | infinitive | Someone *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for it | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent for it=Theme |
| 4 | **is a** | can | it | a crime |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is fine as long as nobody sees them do it or tells

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:204-pranks:t5:o4:1
# text = It is fine as long as nobody sees them do it or tells
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	expl	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	advmod	_	_
4	as	as	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	8	nsubj	_	_
8	sees	see	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
9	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	xcomp	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	tells	tell	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | fine *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **see** | present | nobody | them *= they* |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **do** | infinitive | them *= they* *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |
| 4 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present | nobody *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: 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: [Pranks: harmless fun or real harm?, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/204-pranks/t4/)
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