---
title: It is given that two siblings jointly responsible for breaking a vas… — «It was HIM!»: siblings blaming each o… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that two siblings jointly responsible for breaking a vase each give a truthful account. Determine the outcome reported. Exam question 4 of lesson 432 ««It was HIM!»: siblings blaming each other» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of t
---

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# Exam question 4 · «It was HIM!»: siblings blaming each other

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that two siblings jointly responsible for breaking a vase each give a truthful account. Determine the outcome reported.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, outcome · **What happens:** give, break, determine, report · **To what, where:** It, vase, truthful account

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 432 ««It was HIM!»: siblings blaming each other» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other/#e4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that two siblings jointly responsible for breaking a vase each give a truthful account.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other:e4:1
# text = It is given that two siblings jointly responsible for breaking a vase each give a truthful account.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	siblings	sibling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	jointly	jointly	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	responsible	responsible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	advcl	_	_
9	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
10	breaking	break	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	advcl	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	vase	vase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	14	advmod	_	_
14	give	give	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	truthful	truthful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	account	account	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **break** | gerund |  | a vase |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer vase=Patient |
| 3 | **give** | present |  | a truthful account |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent account=Theme |

<!-- .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:* Determine the outcome reported.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other:e4:2
# text = Determine the outcome reported.
1	Determine	determine	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	outcome	outcome	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	reported	report	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **report** | past | the outcome |  |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Neither was required to pay anything

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other:e4:o1:1
# text = Neither was required to pay anything
1	Neither	neither	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | past · passive |  | Neither |  |  |  |  | vn order-58.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **pay** | to-infinitive |  | anything |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Asset |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each was required to pay a reduced share

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other:e4:o2:1
# text = Each was required to pay a reduced share
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	reduced	reduce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	share	share	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | past · passive |  | Each |  |  |  |  | vn order-58.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **pay** | to-infinitive |  | a reduced share |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent share=Asset |
| 3 | **reduce** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn limit-76 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each was required to pay the whole cost

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other:e4:o3:1
# text = Each was required to pay the whole cost
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	cost	cost	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | past · passive |  | Each |  |  |  |  | vn order-58.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **pay** | to-infinitive |  | the whole cost |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cost=Asset |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both were punished more severely for the delay

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other:e4:o4:1
# text = Both were punished more severely for the delay
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	punished	punish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	5	advmod	_	_
5	severely	severely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	delay	delay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **punish** | past · passive |  | Both |  |  |  | for the delay; severely *property* | vn prosecute-33.2-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: subject=Patient for delay=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: [«It was HIM!»: siblings blaming each o…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other/e3/)
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- ↑ back to [«It was HIM!»: siblings blaming each other](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/432-it-was-him-siblings-blaming-each-other/)