---
title: A cartoon shows four black cats, and the caption says "les chats noi… — Adjectives: after the noun, and agreeing · tree and pragmatics
description: A cartoon shows four black cats, and the caption says "les chats noirs". Your brother says the adjective should not have an s, "cos colours don't count". Who's right? Test 5 · ★★ of lesson 27 «Adjectives: after the noun, and agreeing» of the French course of Mova's primary school, with the dependenc
---

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# Test 5 · ★★ · Adjectives: after the noun, and agreeing

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cartoon shows four black cats, and the caption says "les chats noirs". Your brother says the adjective should not have an s, "cos colours don't count". Who's right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** cartoon, caption, brother, adjective, cos colours · **What happens:** show, say, not have, not count, be · **To what, where:** four black cats, chats noirs, s · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★★ of lesson 27 «Adjectives: after the noun, and agreeing» 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/27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cartoon shows four black cats, and the caption says "les chats noirs".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:1
# text = A cartoon shows four black cats, and the caption says "les chats noirs".
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	shows	show	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	four	four	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
5	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	caption	caption	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	les	les	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	chats	chat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	compound	_	_
15	noirs	noir	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present | a cartoon |  | four black cats |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent cat=Recipient |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the caption | chats noirs |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent noir=Topic |

<!-- .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:* Your brother says the adjective should not have an s, "cos colours don't count".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:2
# text = Your brother says the adjective should not have an s, "cos colours don't count".
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	adjective	adjective	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	_
9	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	cos	cos	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nsubj	_	_
15	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	17	advmod	_	_
17	count	count	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **have** | should | the adjective | a s |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent s=Patient |
| 3 | **not** **count** *in a quote* | present · do-support | cos colours |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Who's right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:3
# text = Who's right?
1	Who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	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 |  |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Neither: it should be les chat noir

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:o1:1
# text = Neither: it should be les chat noir
1	Neither	neither	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	cop	_	_
6	les	le	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	chat	chat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	noir	noir	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | should | it | les |  |  |  | neither *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **chat** *speech: other* | present | les | noir |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Neither: it should be les chats noires

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:o2:1
# text = Neither: it should be les chats noires
1	Neither	neither	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	cop	_	_
6	les	les	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	7	det	_	_
7	chats	chat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	compound	_	_
8	noires	noire	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The caption: noirs agrees

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:o3:1
# text = The caption: noirs agrees
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	caption	caption	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
4	noirs	noir	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
5	agrees	agree	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **agree** *speech: agree* | present | the caption and noirs |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your brother: colours never change

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:27-adjectives-after-the-noun-and-agreeing:t5:o4:1
# text = Your brother: colours never change
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
4	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
5	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	change	change	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **change** | present | Your brother's colours |  |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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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