---
title: Which is the safest thing to say to a stranger asking for your dad o… — Home alone, the door and the phone · tree and pragmatics
description: Which is the safest thing to say to a stranger asking for your dad on the phone? Test 8 · ★★ of lesson 35 «Home alone, the door and the phone» 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 8 · ★★ · Home alone, the door and the phone

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which is the safest thing to say to a stranger asking for your dad on the phone?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** be, say, ask · **To what, where:** safest thing, stranger, phone · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★★ of lesson 35 «Home alone, the door and the phone» 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/35-home-alone/#t8).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:35-home-alone:t8:1
# text = Which is the safest thing to say to a stranger asking for your dad on the phone?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	safest	safe	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	asking	ask	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	xcomp	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
15	on	on	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	phone	phone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | the safest thing |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  |  | a stranger |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V PP.recipient S-Quote»: agent=Agent to stranger=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **ask** *speech: ask* | gerund |  |  |  | the phone |  | for your dad | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"He went away, I'm on my own."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:35-home-alone:t8:o1:1
# text = "He went away, I'm on my own."
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	away	away	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go away** *in a quote* | past | He |  |  |  |  | away *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | I |  |  |  |  | own *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"He's at work until late tonight."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:35-home-alone:t8:o2:1
# text = "He's at work until late tonight."
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	until	until	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	late	late	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	5	advmod	_	_
8	tonight	tonight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

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

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"He's busy right now. Can I take a message?"

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* "He's busy right now.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:35-home-alone:t8:o3:1
# text = "He's busy right now.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	busy	busy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	right	right	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

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

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Can I take a message?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:35-home-alone:t8:o3:2
# text = Can I take a message?"
1	Can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	message	message	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | can | I | a message |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent message=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"He's out; come round to the house and wait for him."

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:35-home-alone:t8:o4:1
# text = "He's out; come round to the house and wait for him."
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	out	out	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
6	come	come	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	round	round	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	wait	wait	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | He |  |  |  |  | out *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **come round** *in a quote* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  | the house |  | round *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to house=Initial\_Location |
| 3 | **wait** *in a quote* | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for him *= he* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=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.

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- ← previous: [Home alone, the door and the phone, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/35-home-alone/t7/)
- next →: [Home alone, the door and the phone, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/35-home-alone/t9/)
- ↑ back to [Home alone, the door and the phone](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/35-home-alone/)