---
title: It is given that a pupil repeated in class an improper expression ta… — Big brothers · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a pupil repeated in class an improper expression taught to him by an elder brother. Ascertain whether the brother's instruction excuses the pupil. Exam question 4 of lesson 501 «Big brothers» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of
---

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# Exam question 4 · Big brothers

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a pupil repeated in class an improper expression taught to him by an elder brother. Ascertain whether the brother's instruction excuses the pupil.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** pupil, you, instruction, brother · **What happens:** give, repeat, teach, ascertain, excuse, instruct · **To what, where:** It, improper expression, class, him, pupil

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This is exam question 4 of lesson 501 «Big brothers» 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/501-big-brothers/#e4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a pupil repeated in class an improper expression taught to him by an elder brother.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:501-big-brothers:e4:1
# text = It is given that a pupil repeated in class an improper expression taught to him by an elder brother.
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	_	13	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	pupil	pupil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
7	repeated	repeat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	class	class	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
10	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	improper	improper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	expression	expression	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
13	taught	teach	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obl	_	_
16	by	by	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
17	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
18	elder	elder	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	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 | **repeat** | participle | a pupil *not said here* | a improper expression |  | class |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 3 | **teach** *speech: other* | past | a pupil |  | him *= he* |  |  | by a elder brother | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V PP.recipient how S»: agent=Agent to he=Recipient |

<!-- .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:* Ascertain whether the brother's instruction excuses the pupil.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:501-big-brothers:e4:2
# text = Ascertain whether the brother's instruction excuses the pupil.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	instruction	instruction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	excuses	excuse	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	pupil	pupil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **excuse** | present | the brother's instruction | the pupil |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent pupil=Theme |
| 3 | **instruct** |  | the brother |  |  |  |  |  | nom instruction «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It does not excuse him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:501-big-brothers:e4:o1:1
# text = It does not excuse him
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	excuse	excuse	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **excuse** | present · do-support | It | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It transfers the fault entirely to the brother

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:501-big-brothers:e4:o2:1
# text = It transfers the fault entirely to the brother
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	transfers	transfer	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	fault	fault	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	entirely	entirely	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **transfer** | present | It | the fault | the brother |  |  | entirely *property* | vn contribute-13.2-2 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent fault=Theme to brother=Recipient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It wholly excuses him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:501-big-brothers:e4:o3:1
# text = It wholly excuses him
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	wholly	wholly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	excuses	excuse	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **excuse** | present | It | him *= he* |  |  |  | wholly *property* | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It excuses him in part

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:501-big-brothers:e4:o4:1
# text = It excuses him in part
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	excuses	excuse	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **excuse** | present | It | him *= he* |  | part |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=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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