---
title: Kid: «just blame the cat, it can't argue lol». What's the truth? — The broken window and other hidden acc… · tree and pragmatics
description: Kid: «just blame the cat, it can't argue lol». What's the truth? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 428 «The broken window and other hidden accidents» 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 7 · ★ · The broken window and other hidden accidents

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Kid: «just blame the cat, it can't argue lol». What's the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** cat, truth · **What happens:** blame, not argue, be · **To what, where:** cat

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 428 «The broken window and other hidden accidents» 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/428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Kid: «just blame the cat, it can't argue lol».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents:t7:1
# text = Kid: «just blame the cat, it can't argue lol».
1	Kid	kid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	just	just	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	blame	blame	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	appos	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
10	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	argue	argue	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	parataxis	_	_
13	lol	lol	INTJ	UH	_	12	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blame** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | the cat |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cat=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **argue** *speech: disagree* *in a quote* | can | cat |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What's the truth?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents:t7:2
# text = What's the truth?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Cats always get the blame fairly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents:t7:o1:1
# text = Cats always get the blame fairly
1	Cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	3	advmod	_	_
3	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	blame	blame	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	fairly	fairly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's a coward's lie, and it often fails anyway

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents:t7:o2:1
# text = It's a coward's lie, and it often fails anyway
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	coward	coward	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	often	often	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	fails	fail	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
12	anyway	anyway	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a coward's lie |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **fail** | present | lie |  |  |  |  | anyway, often *property* | vn succeed-74-3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Parents can never check where the cat was all day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents:t7:o3:1
# text = Parents can never check where the cat was all day
1	Parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	check	check	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	10	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **check** | can | Parents |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | the cat | all day |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's fine if it's a small thing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:428-the-broken-window-and-other-hidden-accidents:t7:o4:1
# text = It's fine if it's a small thing
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	expl	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | fine *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | it | a small thing |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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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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