---
title: Lily from Ottawa says, "Il y a means there is, eh." Her brother says… — Avoir: to have · tree and pragmatics
description: Lily from Ottawa says, "Il y a means there is, eh." Her brother says it only works for one thing. Who's right? Test 5 of lesson 29 «Avoir: to have» 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 was wrong.
---

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# Test 5 · Avoir: to have

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lily from Ottawa says, "Il y a means there is, eh." Her brother says it only works for one thing. Who's right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Lily, Il, brother, it · **What happens:** say, y, mean, be, work · **To what, where:** a · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 of lesson 29 «Avoir: to have» 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/29-avoir-to-have/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Lily from Ottawa says, "Il y a means there is, eh."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:t5:1
# text = Lily from Ottawa says, "Il y a means there is, eh."
1	Lily	Lily	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	from	from	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	Ottawa	Ottawa	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Il	Il	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	y	y	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	nsubj	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	obj	_	_
10	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
11	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	12	expl	_	_
12	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	eh	eh	INTJ	UH	_	10	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Lily from Ottawa |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **y** *in a quote* | past | Il | a |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **mean** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **be** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=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:* Her brother says it only works for one thing.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:t5:2
# text = Her brother says it only works for one thing.
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|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	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Il's brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **work** | present | it |  |  |  |  | for one thing | vn employment-95.3 «NP V PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for thing=Beneficiary |

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

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have: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 -->
Her brother: use ils y a for many

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:t5:o1:1
# text = Her brother: use ils y a for many
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
4	use	use	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	ils	ils	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	7	case	_	_
6	y	y	X	FW	_	5	flat:foreign	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	obl	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | infinitive | Her brother |  |  |  |  | ils a; for many | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her brother: use il y ont for many

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:t5:o2:1
# text = Her brother: use il y ont for many
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
4	use	use	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	il	il	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	4	dep	_	_
6	y	y	X	FW	_	7	dep	_	_
7	ont	ont	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	4	obl	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | infinitive | Her brother | ont |  |  |  | for many | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Neither: il y a means he has

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:t5:o3:1
# text = Neither: il y a means he has
1	Neither	neither	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	3	punct	_	_
3	il	il	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	6	nsubj	_	_
4	y	y	X	FW	_	3	flat:foreign	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	appos	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | il |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **have** | present | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lily: il y a works for one or many

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:t5:o4:1
# text = Lily: il y a works for one or many
1	Lily	Lily	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	3	punct	_	_
3	il	IL	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod:unmarked	_	_
4	y	y	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	nsubj	_	_
6	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	obl	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **y** | past | Lily  il |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **work** | present | a |  |  |  |  | for one | vn employment-95.3 «NP V PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for one=Beneficiary |

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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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