---
title: Kid: «I blamed the teacher for my mark and Mum believed me twice, so… — Putting the blame on someone else · tree and pragmatics
description: Kid: «I blamed the teacher for my mark and Mum believed me twice, so it works». What's true? Test 7 of lesson 344 «Putting the blame on someone else» 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 7 · Putting the blame on someone else

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Kid: «I blamed the teacher for my mark and Mum believed me twice, so it works». What's true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** I, Mum, teacher, my · **What happens:** blame, believe, work, mark, be · **To what, where:** Kid, me

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 of lesson 344 «Putting the blame on someone else» 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/344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Kid: «I blamed the teacher for my mark and Mum believed me twice, so it works».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else:t7:1
# text = Kid: «I blamed the teacher for my mark and Mum believed me twice, so it works».
1	Kid	kid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	blamed	blame	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	mark	mark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	Mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	believed	believe	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
14	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	_
15	twice	twice	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	13	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
17	so	so	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
19	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blame** *in a quote* | past | I | Kid |  |  |  | for my mark | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent teacher=Theme for mark=Attribute |
| 2 | **believe** *in a quote* | past | Mum | me |  |  |  | twice *property* | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer i=Stimulus |
| 3 | **work** *in a quote* | present | teacher |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **mark** *in a quote* |  | my |  |  |  |  |  | nom mark «cognition transitive»: poss=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's true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else:t7:2
# text = What's true?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	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	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Teachers are always to blame

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else:t7:o1:1
# text = Teachers are always to blame
1	Teachers	teacher	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	blame	blame	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Teachers |  |  |  |  | always *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **blame** | to-infinitive | Teachers *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It still stops him learning, and it may not work the third time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else:t7:o2:1
# text = It still stops him learning, and it may not work the third time
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	still	still	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	stops	stop	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	learning	learn	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
9	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	work	work	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	third	third	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	14	amod	_	_
14	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | present | It | him *= he* |  |  | still |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **learn** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **work** | may | it |  |  |  | time |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mums never check books

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else:t7:o3:1
# text = Mums never check books
1	Mums	mum	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	check	check	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	books	book	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **check** | present | Mums | books |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent book=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It works every time, so he should keep doing it, Mum never checks the books

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else:t7:o4:1
# text = It works every time, so he should keep doing it, Mum never checks the books
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
8	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
10	doing	do	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	xcomp	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	Mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	checks	check	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	books	book	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **work** | present | It |  |  |  | time |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **keep** | should | he |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **do** | gerund | he *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |
| 4 | **not** **check** | present | Mum | the books |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent book=Theme |

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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: [Putting the blame on someone else, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/344-putting-the-blame-on-someone-else/t6/)
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