---
title: Kieran: «if ya don't hit back you're a target forever, my uncle said… — «Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher… · tree and pragmatics
description: Kieran: «if ya don't hit back you're a target forever, my uncle said». Which is true? Test 5 · ★ of lesson 391 ««Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher»? What the grown-ups say» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/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/) / [«Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/) / t5

# Test 5 · ★ · «Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher»? What the grown-up…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Kieran: «if ya don't hit back you're a target forever, my uncle said». Which is true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Kieran, you, uncle · **What happens:** not hit back, be, say · **To what, where:** target · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★ of lesson 391 ««Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher»? What the grown-ups say» 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/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Kieran: «if ya don't hit back you're a target forever, my uncle said».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t5:1
# text = Kieran: «if ya don't hit back you're a target forever, my uncle said».
1	Kieran	Kieran	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	ya	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
6	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	hit	hit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
9	back	back	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
10	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	target	target	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
14	forever	forever	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	uncle	uncle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj	_	_
18	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **hit back** *in a quote* | present · do-support | Kieran |  |  |  |  | forever *property* | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | you | a target |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | my uncle |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Which is true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t5:2
# text = Which is true?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Targets get a medal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t5:o1:1
# text = Targets get a medal
1	Targets	target	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	medal	medal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | Targets | a medal |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer medal=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nobody ever picks on people who hit back

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t5:o2:1
# text = Nobody ever picks on people who hit back
1	Nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	3	nsubj	_	_
2	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	3	advmod	_	_
3	picks	pick	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
6	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	hit	hit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	back	back	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pick** | present | Nobody |  |  |  | ever | on people | vn chew-39.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent on people=Patient |
| 2 | **hit back** | past | people |  |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Uncles are always right about fights

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t5:o3:1
# text = Uncles are always right about fights
1	Uncles	uncle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	about	about	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	fights	fight	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

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

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hitting back often keeps the fight going for longer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t5:o4:1
# text = Hitting back often keeps the fight going for longer
1	Hitting	hit	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	csubj	_	_
2	back	back	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
3	often	often	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	keeps	keep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	fight	fight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	going	go	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	xcomp	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hit back** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **keep** | present | Hitting | the fight |  |  |  | often *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **go** | gerund | the fight *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-2 «NP V PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for long=Beneficiary |

<!-- 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: [«Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/t4/)
- next →: [«Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher…, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/t6/)
- ↑ back to [«Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher»? What the grown-ups say](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/)