---
title: Mum: «The fish is floating on its side. Have you been changing the w… — Accidents told too late · tree and pragmatics
description: Mum: «The fish is floating on its side. Have you been changing the water?» What's the honest answer? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 343 «Accidents told too late» 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 7 · ★ · Accidents told too late

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mum: «The fish is floating on its side. Have you been changing the water?» What's the honest answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** fish, you, honest answer · **What happens:** float, change, be · **To what, where:** side, water

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 343 «Accidents told too late» 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/343-accidents-told-too-late/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Mum: «The fish is floating on its side.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:1
# text = Mum: «The fish is floating on its side.
1	Mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	7	punct	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	floating	float	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	conj	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **float** *in a quote* | present · progressive | the fish |  |  | fish's side |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on side=Trajectory |

<!-- .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:* Have you been changing the water?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:2
# text = Have you been changing the water?»
1	Have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	aux	_	_
4	changing	change	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | present · perfect · progressive | you | the water |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What's the honest answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:3
# text = What's the honest answer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	honest	honest	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Every day, I promise»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:o1:1
# text = «Every day, I promise»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	det	_	_
3	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	promise	promise	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **promise** *speech: promise* *in a quote* | present | I |  |  |  | day |  | vn promise-37.13 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«It just got old»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:o2:1
# text = «It just got old»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	just	just	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	got	get	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** *in a quote* | past | It |  |  |  |  | old *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Fish do that»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:o3:1
# text = «Fish do that»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Fish	fish	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«No, I didn't. I'm sorry»

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «No, I didn't.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:o4:1
# text = «No, I didn't.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **do** *in a quote* | past | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* I'm sorry»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:343-accidents-told-too-late:t7:o4:2
# text = I'm sorry»
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	sorry	sorry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

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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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- ← previous: [Accidents told too late, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/343-accidents-told-too-late/t6/)
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