---
title: Mr Pryce: «Jake, why are you in my doorway with your fists clenched?… — «Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher… · tree and pragmatics
description: Mr Pryce: «Jake, why are you in my doorway with your fists clenched?» Best answer? Test 8 · ★ 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; M
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · «Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher»? What the grown-up…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mr Pryce: «Jake, why are you in my doorway with your fists clenched?» Best answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** be, clench · **To what, where:** doorway, fists

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ 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/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Mr Pryce: «Jake, why are you in my doorway with your fists clenched?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t8:1
# text = Mr Pryce: «Jake, why are you in my doorway with your fists clenched?»
1	Mr	Mr	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	flat	_	_
2	Pryce	Pryce	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	Jake	Jake	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
8	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
9	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	doorway	doorway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	fists	fist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	_
16	clenched	clench	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	15	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | you |  |  | my doorway |  | with your fists | tree rules |
| 2 | **clench** *in a quote* | participle |  | your fists *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: 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:* Best answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t8:2
# text = Best answer?
1	Best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	amod	_	_
2	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«I wanted to hit him, so I came to tell you»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t8:o1:1
# text = «I wanted to hit him, so I came to tell you»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	hit	hit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
13	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	12	iobj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** *in a quote* | past | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **hit** *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive | I *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme he=Co-Theme |
| 3 | **come** *in a quote* | past | I |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **tell** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | to-infinitive | I *not said here* |  | you |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent you=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Waiting to hit him after school»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t8:o2:1
# text = «Waiting to hit him after school»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Waiting	wait	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	hit	hit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	after	after	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **hit** *in a quote* | to-infinitive |  | him *= he* |  |  | after school |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme he=Co-Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«I'm practising my boxing for the club on Saturday»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t8:o3:1
# text = «I'm practising my boxing for the club on Saturday»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	practising	practise	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	boxing	boxing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	club	club	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Saturday	Saturday	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **practise** *in a quote* | present · progressive | I | my boxing |  |  |  | for the club on Saturday | tree rules |
| 2 | **box** *in a quote* |  | my |  |  |  |  |  | nom boxing «act intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Nothing, sir, I'm just standing here»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher:t8:o4:1
# text = «Nothing, sir, I'm just standing here»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
4	sir	sir	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
6	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
8	just	just	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	standing	stand	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
10	here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	9	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stand** *in a quote* | present · progressive | Nothing |  |  | here |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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: [«Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/t7/)
- next →: [«Just hit him back» or «tell a teacher…, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/t9/)
- ↑ 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/)