---
title: A boy in Ottawa knocks a plant pot off the window sill and soil spil… — Tests, exams and mistakes · tree and pragmatics
description: A boy in Ottawa knocks a plant pot off the window sill and soil spills everywhere. Why should he tell the teacher at once? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 255 «Tests, exams and mistakes» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option;
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · Tests, exams and mistakes

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A boy in Ottawa knocks a plant pot off the window sill and soil spills everywhere. Why should he tell the teacher at once?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** boy · **What happens:** knock, tell · **To what, where:** plant pot, teacher · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 255 «Tests, exams and mistakes» 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/255-tests-exams-and-mistakes/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A boy in Ottawa knocks a plant pot off the window sill and soil spills everywhere.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:255-tests-exams-and-mistakes:t8:1
# text = A boy in Ottawa knocks a plant pot off the window sill and soil spills everywhere.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Ottawa	Ottawa	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	knocks	knock	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	pot	pot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	off	off	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	sill	sill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	_
15	spills	spill	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	conj	_	_
16	everywhere	everywhere	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	15	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **knock** | present | a boy in Ottawa | a plant pot |  |  |  | off the window sill and soil spills | vn split-23.2 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: agent=Agent pot=Patient off sill=Co-Patient |

<!-- .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 should he tell the teacher at once?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:255-tests-exams-and-mistakes:t8:2
# text = Why should he tell the teacher at once?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | should | boy |  | the teacher |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent teacher=Recipient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Otherwise the plant will grow back wrong and crooked

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:255-tests-exams-and-mistakes:t8:o1:1
# text = Otherwise the plant will grow back wrong and crooked
1	Otherwise	otherwise	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	back	back	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	crooked	crooked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow back** | future | the plant |  |  |  |  | otherwise, wrong *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It can be cleaned safely, and owning up is respected

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:255-tests-exams-and-mistakes:t8:o2:1
# text = It can be cleaned safely, and owning up is respected
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	cleaned	clean	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	safely	safely	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
8	owning	own	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	csubj:pass	_	_
9	up	up	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	respected	respect	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clean** | can · passive |  | It |  |  |  | safely *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **own up** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **respect** | present · passive | owning |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S» |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The teacher can find somebody else to blame for the mess

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:255-tests-exams-and-mistakes:t8:o3:1
# text = The teacher can find somebody else to blame for the mess
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	somebody	somebody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obj	_	_
6	else	else	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	blame	blame	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	mess	mess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | can | the teacher | somebody |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent somebody=Attribute clause=Theme |
| 2 | **blame** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | for the mess | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent for mess=Attribute |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He will be given a reward for breaking it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:255-tests-exams-and-mistakes:t8:o4:1
# text = He will be given a reward for breaking it
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	reward	reward	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	breaking	break	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | future · passive |  | He |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: subject=Recipient reward=Theme |
| 2 | **break** | gerund |  | reward |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=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.

<!-- /div -->

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