---
title: The meter runs out and Lorcan's little cousin yells, «we're gonna be… — The electric meter, the food bank and… · tree and pragmatics
description: The meter runs out and Lorcan's little cousin yells, «we're gonna be in the dark FOREVER». What's true? Test 2 · ★★ of lesson 488 «The electric meter, the food bank and «we can't afford it»» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and 
---

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# Test 2 · ★★ · The electric meter, the food bank and «we can't afford it»

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The meter runs out and Lorcan's little cousin yells, «we're gonna be in the dark FOREVER». What's true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** meter, little cousin, we · **What happens:** run out, yell, be · **To what, where:** gonna dark · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is test 2 · ★★ of lesson 488 «The electric meter, the food bank and «we can't afford it»» 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/488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* The meter runs out and Lorcan's little cousin yells, «we're gonna be in the dark FOREVER».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it:t2:1
# text = The meter runs out and Lorcan's little cousin yells, «we're gonna be in the dark FOREVER».
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	meter	meter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	runs	run	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
6	Lorcan	Lorcan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	yells	yell	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
12	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
15	gonna	gonna	X	FW	_	19	compound	_	_
16	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	19	cop	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	dark	dark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	ccomp	_	_
20	FOREVER	forever	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run out** | present | the meter |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **yell** *speech: express* | present | Lorcan's little cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | we |  |  | the gonna dark |  | forever *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it:t2:2
# 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Electricity only comes back on the next birthday

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it:t2:o1:1
# text = Electricity only comes back on the next birthday
1	Electricity	electricity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	comes	come	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	back	back	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	next	next	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	birthday	birthday	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come back** | present | Electricity |  |  | the next birthday |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on birthday=Location |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They'll be in the dark only until it's topped up

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it:t2:o2:1
# text = They'll be in the dark only until it's topped up
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	cop	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	dark	dark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	only	only	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
8	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	topped	top	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
12	up	up	ADP	RP	_	11	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | future | They |  |  | the dark |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **top up** | present · passive |  | dark |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: subject=Co-Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The power company takes the whole house away

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it:t2:o3:1
# text = The power company takes the whole house away
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	power	power	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	takes	take	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
8	away	away	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | present | the power company | the whole house |  |  |  | away *property* | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent house=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Once a meter runs out it can never be refilled

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it:t2:o4:1
# text = Once a meter runs out it can never be refilled
1	Once	once	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	meter	meter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	runs	run	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
5	out	out	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
9	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	refilled	refill	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run out** | present | a meter |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **refill** | can · passive |  | meter |  |  |  |  | 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.

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