---
title: Aisha's dad says people first talked «before WhatsApp». What is the… — How we got here: the big steps on one… · tree and pragmatics
description: Aisha's dad says people first talked «before WhatsApp». What is the honest answer? Test 12 of lesson 61 «How we got here: the big steps on one long timeline» of the history course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was 
---

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# Test 12 · How we got here: the big steps on one long timeline

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Aisha's dad says people first talked «before WhatsApp». What is the honest answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** dad, people, honest answer · **What happens:** say, talk, be · **To what, where:** WhatsApp · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 12 of lesson 61 «How we got here: the big steps on one long timeline» of the history 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/history/61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline/#t12).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Aisha's dad says people first talked «before WhatsApp».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline:t12:1
# text = Aisha's dad says people first talked «before WhatsApp».
1	Aisha	Aisha	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
6	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	7	advmod	_	_
7	talked	talk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
8	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	before	before	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	WhatsApp	WhatsApp	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Aisha's dad |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **talk** | past | people | WhatsApp |  |  |  | first *property* | vn compel-59.1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent whatsapp=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:* What is the honest answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline:t12:2
# text = What is the honest answer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	honest	honest	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the honest answer |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nobody knows exactly; spoken words leave no bones or stones

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline:t12:o1:1
# text = Nobody knows exactly; spoken words leave no bones or stones
1	Nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	nsubj	_	_
2	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	spoken	speak	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	amod	_	_
6	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	leave	leave	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
8	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	9	det	_	_
9	bones	bone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **know** | present | Nobody |  |  |  |  | exactly *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **speak** *speech: other* | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **leave** | present | spoken words | no bones or stones |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bone=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
When writing was invented, because speech came from letters

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline:t12:o2:1
# text = When writing was invented, because speech came from letters
1	When	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
9	from	from	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **invent** | past · passive |  | writing |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Result |
| 2 | **come** | past | speech |  |  | letters |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme from letter=Initial\_Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Exactly in 3000 BC, as the Egyptian records clearly show

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline:t12:o3:1
# text = Exactly in 3000 BC, as the Egyptian records clearly show
1	Exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	3000	3000	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	0	root	_	_
4	BC	BC	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
6	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	Egyptian	Egyptian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	records	record	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
10	clearly	clearly	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	show	show	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present | the Egyptian records |  |  |  |  | clearly *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only in the last 2,000 years, after the Roman Empire

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline:t12:o4:1
# text = Only in the last 2,000 years, after the Roman Empire
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	2,000	2000	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	after	after	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	Roman	Roman	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	Empire	Empire	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
```

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

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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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- next →: [How we got here: the big steps on one…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/history/61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline/e1/)
- ↑ back to [How we got here: the big steps on one long timeline](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/history/61-how-we-got-here-the-big-steps-on-one-long-timeline/)