---
title: A boy keeps saying he's tired to miss things. What does his mum begi… — Excuses and the lies that grow · tree and pragmatics
description: A boy keeps saying he's tired to miss things. What does his mum begin to think? Test 11 · ★ of lesson 337 «Excuses and the lies that grow» 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 11 · ★ · Excuses and the lies that grow

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A boy keeps saying he's tired to miss things. What does his mum begin to think?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** boy, mum · **What happens:** keep, say, be, miss, begin, think · **To what, where:** things · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 11 · ★ of lesson 337 «Excuses and the lies that grow» 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/337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow/#t11).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A boy keeps saying he's tired to miss things.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow:t11:1
# text = A boy keeps saying he's tired to miss things.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	keeps	keep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	saying	say	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
5	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	tired	tired	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	miss	miss	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	advcl	_	_
10	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | present | a boy |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund | a boy *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | boy |  |  |  |  | tired *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **miss** | to-infinitive | boy *not said here* | things |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer thing=Stimulus |

<!-- .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 does his mum begin to think?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow:t11:2
# text = What does his mum begin to think?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	begin	begin	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **begin** | present · do-support | boy's mum |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | boy's mum *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That he needs more sleep, nothing else, and an early bedtime

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow:t11:o1:1
# text = That he needs more sleep, nothing else, and an early bedtime
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	nsubj	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	needs	need	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	amod	_	_
5	sleep	sleep	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	5	appos	_	_
8	else	else	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	early	early	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	bedtime	bedtime	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present | That | more sleep |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot sleep=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That his excuses can't be trusted, even when he is tired

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow:t11:o2:1
# text = That his excuses can't be trusted, even when he is tired
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	nsubj	_	_
2	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	excuses	excuse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	trusted	trust	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
9	even	even	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
10	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	13	mark	_	_
11	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	tired	tired	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **trust** | can · passive |  | his excuses |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | he |  |  |  |  | tired *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **excuse** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom excuse «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That he is very honest

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow:t11:o3:1
# text = That he is very honest
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	nsubj	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	very	very	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	honest	honest	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | That |  |  |  |  | honest *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That tiredness is catching

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow:t11:o4:1
# text = That tiredness is catching
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	tiredness	tiredness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	catching	catch	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **catch** | present · progressive | that tiredness |  |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: 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: [Excuses and the lies that grow, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/337-excuses-and-the-lies-that-grow/t10/)
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