---
title: Teacher asks: «Lily, why didn't you tell me sooner?» Lily: «I didn't… — Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily · tree and pragmatics
description: Teacher asks: «Lily, why didn't you tell me sooner?» Lily: «I didn't want to tell tales.» What's true? Test 5 · ★ of lesson 387 «Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/t5/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/) / [Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/) / t5

# Test 5 · ★ · Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Teacher asks: «Lily, why didn't you tell me sooner?» Lily: «I didn't want to tell tales.» What's true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Teacher, Lily · **What happens:** ask, not tell, not want, tell, be · **To what, where:** Teacher, tales · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★ of lesson 387 «Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily» 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/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Teacher asks: «Lily, why didn't you tell me sooner?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:1
# text = Teacher asks: «Lily, why didn't you tell me sooner?»
1	Teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	Lily	Lily	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	11	advmod	_	_
8	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
10	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	parataxis	_	_
12	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	11	iobj	_	_
13	sooner	soon	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	11	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | Teacher |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **tell** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past · do-support | Lily |  | Teacher |  |  | soon *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent i=Recipient |

<!-- .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:* Lily: «I didn't want to tell tales.»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:2
# text = Lily: «I didn't want to tell tales.»
1	Lily	Lily	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
5	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	want	want	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
10	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **want** *in a quote* | past · do-support | Teacher |  |  |  |  | Lily *vocative* | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive | Teacher *not said here* | tales |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent tale=Recipient |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What's true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:3
# 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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Telling about being hurt every day isn't telling tales

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:o1:1
# text = Telling about being hurt every day isn't telling tales
1	Telling	tell	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
2	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
3	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	xcomp	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	telling	tell	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
10	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **hurt** *not said to happen* | gerund · passive |  |  |  |  | day |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle» |
| 3 | **not** **tell** *speech: assert* | present · progressive | Telling | tales |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent tale=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She should have sorted it with her fists

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:o2:1
# text = She should have sorted it with her fists
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	sorted	sort	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	fists	fist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sort** | should · perfect | She | it |  |  |  | with her fists | vn classify-29.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's only telling tales if a girl does it to a boy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:o3:1
# text = It's only telling tales if a girl does it to a boy
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	telling	tell	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
6	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	does	do	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present · progressive | It | tales |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent tale=Recipient |
| 2 | **do** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | a girl | it |  |  |  | to a boy | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Telling a teacher always makes it worse

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily:t5:o4:1
# text = Telling a teacher always makes it worse
1	Telling	tell	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	csubj	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	5	advmod	_	_
5	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
7	worse	bad	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | gerund |  |  | a teacher |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent teacher=Recipient |
| 2 | **make** | present | Telling | teacher |  |  |  | always, bad *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset it=Product |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/t4/)
- next →: [Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/t6/)
- ↑ back to [Ponytail tugging: crushes shown clumsily](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/)