---
title: the Wilsons' house went dark and everyone's saying they didn't pay t… — Electricity at home · tree and pragmatics
description: the Wilsons' house went dark and everyone's saying they didn't pay the bill, pass it on Test 19 · ★ of lesson 32 «Electricity at home» 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 19 · ★ · Electricity at home

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
the Wilsons' house went dark and everyone's saying they didn't pay the bill, pass it on

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** house, everyone, Wilsons · **What happens:** go, say, not pay, pass on · **To what, where:** bill · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 19 · ★ of lesson 32 «Electricity at home» 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/32-electricity-at-home/#t19).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:32-electricity-at-home:t19:1
# text = the Wilsons' house went dark and everyone's saying they didn't pay the bill, pass it on
1	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Wilsons	Wilson	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	'	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	saying	say	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
12	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	ccomp	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	bill	bill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
18	pass	pass	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	conj	_	_
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	obj	_	_
20	on	on	ADP	RP	_	18	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | past | the Wilsons's house |  |  |  |  | dark *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present · progressive | everyone |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **not** **pay** | past · do-support | Wilsons *= wilson* | the bill |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bill=Asset |
| 4 | **pass on** | infinitive | Wilsons *= wilson* *not said here* | bill |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pass it on, and say they were fined

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:32-electricity-at-home:t19:o1:1
# text = Pass it on, and say they were fined
1	Pass	pass	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	RP	_	1	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	say	say	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
7	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	fined	fine	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pass on** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **fine** | past · passive |  | they |  |  |  |  | vn bill-54.5-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pass it on, since dark houses prove it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:32-electricity-at-home:t19:o2:1
# text = Pass it on, since dark houses prove it
1	Pass	pass	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	RP	_	1	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	houses	house	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	prove	prove	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
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 | **pass on** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 2 | **prove** | present | dark houses | it |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Do not pass it on; it may be a power fault and it is their private business

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:32-electricity-at-home:t19:o3:1
# text = Do not pass it on; it may be a power fault and it is their private business
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	pass	pass	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
8	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
9	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	cop	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	power	power	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	fault	fault	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
16	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
17	private	private	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	business	business	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **pass on** | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | may | it | a power fault and fault's private business |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | present | it | fault's private business |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pass it on, so people know they are poor and can't pay their bills

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:32-electricity-at-home:t19:o4:1
# text = Pass it on, so people know they are poor and can't pay their bills
1	Pass	pass	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	RP	_	1	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	know	know	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	poor	poor	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	ccomp	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	pay	pay	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
15	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	bills	bill	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pass on** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 2 | **know** | present | people |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **is** | present | people |  |  |  |  | poor *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **not** **pay** | can | you *not said here* | people's bills |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bill=Asset |
| 5 | **bill** |  | people |  |  |  |  |  | nom bill «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- div src -->

**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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