---
title: A boy in Sydney gets a call from someone saying he is from the tax o… — Chain messages, lures and scam messages · tree and pragmatics
description: A boy in Sydney gets a call from someone saying he is from the tax office and his parents will be arrested unless they pay today. What should he do? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 282 «Chain messages, lures and scam messages» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragma
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Chain messages, lures and scam messages

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A boy in Sydney gets a call from someone saying he is from the tax office and his parents will be arrested unless they pay today. What should he do?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** boy, parents · **What happens:** get, say, be, arrest, pay, do · **To what, where:** call, someone, tax office, parents · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 282 «Chain messages, lures and scam messages» 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/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A boy in Sydney gets a call from someone saying he is from the tax office and his parents will be arrested unless they pay today.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages:t3:1
# text = A boy in Sydney gets a call from someone saying he is from the tax office and his parents will be arrested unless they pay today.
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	Sydney	Sydney	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	gets	get	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	call	call	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	nmod	_	_
10	saying	say	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	acl	_	_
11	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
13	from	from	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	tax	tax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	office	office	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	ccomp	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
18	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	19	nmod:poss	_	_
19	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	22	nsubj:pass	_	_
20	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	22	aux	_	_
21	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	22	aux:pass	_	_
22	arrested	arrest	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	conj	_	_
23	unless	unless	SCONJ	IN	_	25	mark	_	_
24	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	25	nsubj	_	_
25	pay	pay	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
26	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | a boy in Sydney | a call |  | someone |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent call=Theme from someone=Source |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | boy |  |  | the tax office |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **arrest** | future · passive |  | boy's parents |  |  |  |  | vn prosecute-33.2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 5 | **pay** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | parents *= parent* |  |  |  | today |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: 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 should he do?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages:t3:2
# text = What should he do?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
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	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | should | boy |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Give nothing, hang up or pass the phone to a parent

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages:t3:o1:1
# text = Give nothing, hang up or pass the phone to a parent
1	Give	give	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
4	hang	hang	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
5	up	up	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	pass	pass	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	phone	phone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | imperative | you *not said here* | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Theme |
| 2 | **hang up** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **pass** | infinitive |  | the phone | a parent |  |  |  | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent phone=Theme to parent=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tell them the family's bank details so his parents are not arrested

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages:t3:o2:1
# text = Tell them the family's bank details so his parents are not arrested
1	Tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	iobj	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	bank	bank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	details	detail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
8	so	so	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux:pass	_	_
12	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
13	arrested	arrest	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | the family's bank details | them *= they* |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent they=Recipient detail=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **arrest** | present · passive |  | his parents |  |  |  |  | vn prosecute-33.2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 3 | **detail** |  | the family |  |  |  |  |  | nom detail «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Promise to pay with his pocket money

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages:t3:o3:1
# text = Promise to pay with his pocket money
1	Promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	acl	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
6	pocket	pocket	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pay** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | with his pocket money | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Give them his school's address

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages:t3:o4:1
# text = Give them his school's address
1	Give	give	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	iobj	_	_
3	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	address	address	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | imperative | you *not said here* | his school's address | them *= they* |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent they=Recipient address=Theme |
| 2 | **address** |  | his school |  |  |  |  |  | nom address «communication transitive»: poss=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.

<!-- /div -->

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