---
title: my mate says a fortune teller "told his aunt exactly when she'd win… — Illusions that fool the eye and advert… · tree and pragmatics
description: my mate says a fortune teller "told his aunt exactly when she'd win the lottery and she did". what's likely Test 18 · ★ of lesson 280 «Illusions that fool the eye and adverts that fool the wallet» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the questio
---

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# Test 18 · ★ · Illusions that fool the eye and adverts that fool the wallet

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
my mate says a fortune teller "told his aunt exactly when she'd win the lottery and she did". what's likely

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, fortune teller · **What happens:** say, tell, win, do, be · **To what, where:** aunt, lottery · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 18 · ★ of lesson 280 «Illusions that fool the eye and adverts that fool the wallet» 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/280-illusions-and-adverts/#t18).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:280-illusions-and-adverts:t18:1
# text = my mate says a fortune teller "told his aunt exactly when she'd win the lottery and she did". what's likely
1	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	fortune	fortune	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	teller	teller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	told	tell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	aunt	aunt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	iobj	_	_
11	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
12	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	15	advmod	_	_
13	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	'd	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	win	win	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	xcomp	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	lottery	lottery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
19	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
23	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	25	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	25	cop	_	_
25	likely	likely	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | my mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | a fortune teller |  | teller's aunt |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP what S»: agent=Agent aunt=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **win** *not said to happen, in a quote* | would | mate | the lottery |  |  |  | exactly *property* | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lottery=Eventuality |
| 4 | **do** *in a quote* | past | mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | likely *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's true, some people can see the future and win prizes with it

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:280-illusions-and-adverts:t18:o1:1
# text = It's true, some people can see the future and win prizes with it
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	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	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
6	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	parataxis	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	future	future	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	win	win	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
13	prizes	prize	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
14	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **see** | can | some people | the future |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer future=Stimulus |
| 3 | **win** | present | some people *not said here* | prizes |  |  |  | with future | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent prize=Eventuality |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fortune tellers use real science

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:280-illusions-and-adverts:t18:o2:1
# text = Fortune tellers use real science
1	Fortune	fortune	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	tellers	teller	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	use	use	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	science	science	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | Fortune tellers | real science |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent science=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Horoscopes are always right in the end

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:280-illusions-and-adverts:t18:o3:1
# text = Horoscopes are always right in the end
1	Horoscopes	horoscope	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Horoscopes |  |  |  | in the end | always, right *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's a rumour; there's no evidence fortune tellers predict anything

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:280-illusions-and-adverts:t18:o4:1
# text = It's a rumour; there's no evidence fortune tellers predict anything
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	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	rumour	rumour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	7	expl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	advcl	_	_
8	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
9	evidence	evidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	fortune	fortune	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	tellers	teller	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
12	predict	predict	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
13	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a rumour |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** | present | no fortune tellers *not said here* |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **predict** | present | no fortune tellers | anything |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot anything=Topic |

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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: [Illusions that fool the eye and advert…, test 17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/280-illusions-and-adverts/t17/)
- next →: [Illusions that fool the eye and advert…, test 19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/280-illusions-and-adverts/t19/)
- ↑ back to [Illusions that fool the eye and adverts that fool the wallet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/280-illusions-and-adverts/)