---
title: Ruby in Dublin says the French r is "like gargling, sure I'll choke.… — Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ruby in Dublin says the French r is "like gargling, sure I'll choke." Is she wrong? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 2 «Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the French r and u» of the French course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice 
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the French r and u

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ruby in Dublin says the French r is "like gargling, sure I'll choke." Is she wrong?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Ruby, French r, r · **What happens:** say, gargle, choke, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 2 «Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the French r and u» of the French 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/french/2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ruby in Dublin says the French r is "like gargling, sure I'll choke."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u:t3:1
# text = Ruby in Dublin says the French r is "like gargling, sure I'll choke."
1	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	Dublin	Dublin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	says	say	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	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	r	r	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
11	gargling	gargle	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	sure	sure	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	conj	_	_
14	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
16	choke	choke	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Ruby in Dublin |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **gargle** *in a quote* | present · progressive | the French r |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **choke** *in a quote* | future | Ruby in Dublin *= ruby* |  |  |  |  |  | vn die-42.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |

<!-- .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:* Is she wrong?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u:t3:2
# text = Is she wrong?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	wrong	wrong	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 | r |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Not really: it is a soft scrape at the back, like a gentle gargle

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u:t3:o1:1
# text = Not really: it is a soft scrape at the back, like a gentle gargle
1	Not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	2	advmod	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	scrape	scrape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	like	like	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	gentle	gentle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	gargle	gargle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | it | a soft scrape and a gentle gargle |  | the back |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, the French r is rolled at the front, like in Spanish

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u:t3:o2:1
# text = Yes, the French r is rolled at the front, like in Spanish
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	r	r	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	rolled	roll	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	front	front	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	like	like	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	Spanish	Spanish	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **roll** | present · passive |  | the French r |  | the front |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: subject=Theme at front=Trajectory |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, French r is always silent, so you skip it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u:t3:o3:1
# text = Yes, French r is always silent, so you skip it
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	r	r	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	7	advmod	_	_
7	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	skip	skip	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	parataxis	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | French r |  |  |  |  | always, silent *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **skip** | present | you | r |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Not really, but it is done with the lips

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u:t3:o4:1
# text = Not really, but it is done with the lips
1	Not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	2	advmod	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
4	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	done	do	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	lips	lip	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present · passive |  | it |  |  |  | with the lips | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |

<!-- div src -->

**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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- ← previous: [Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the…, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/french/2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u/t2/)
- next →: [Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/french/2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u/t4/)
- ↑ back to [Funny French sounds: nasal vowels, the French r and u](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/french/2-funny-french-sounds-nasal-vowels-the-french-r-and-u/)