---
title: Wren's friend says peoples without writing had no laws, just chaos.… — Writing, laws and money: how strangers… · tree and pragmatics
description: Wren's friend says peoples without writing had no laws, just chaos. What would Wren say? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 63 «Writing, laws and money: how strangers learned to trust each other» of the history course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each op
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Writing, laws and money: how strangers learned to trust ea…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wren's friend says peoples without writing had no laws, just chaos. What would Wren say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** friend, peoples, Wren · **What happens:** say, have · **To what, where:** laws · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 63 «Writing, laws and money: how strangers learned to trust each other» 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/63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Wren's friend says peoples without writing had no laws, just chaos.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other:t9:1
# text = Wren's friend says peoples without writing had no laws, just chaos.
1	Wren	Wren	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	peoples	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
6	without	without	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
8	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
9	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	10	det	_	_
10	laws	law	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	just	just	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	chaos	chaos	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Wren's friend |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **have** | past | peoples without writing | no laws |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent law=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 would Wren say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other:t9:2
# text = What would Wren say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	Wren	Wren	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | would | Wren |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Not true; they kept their laws on early computers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other:t9:o1:1
# text = Not true; they kept their laws on early computers
1	Not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	2	advmod	_	_
2	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	laws	law	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	early	early	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	computers	computer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past | they | their laws |  | early computers |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent law=Theme on computer=Location |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
True, they had no leaders, so nobody made any rules

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other:t9:o2:1
# text = True, they had no leaders, so nobody made any rules
1	True	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	leaders	leader	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	10	nsubj	_	_
10	made	make	VERB	VBD	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	12	det	_	_
12	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | they | no leaders |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent leader=Patient |
| 2 | **make** | past | nobody | any rules |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rule=Product |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Not true; laws were kept in memory, speeches and wampum

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other:t9:o3:1
# text = Not true; laws were kept in memory, speeches and wampum
1	Not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	2	advmod	_	_
2	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
4	laws	law	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	conj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	memory	memory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	speeches	speech	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	wampum	wampum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past · passive |  | laws |  | memory and speeches and wampum |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme in memory=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
True, laws can only exist if they are written on paper

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:63-writing-laws-and-money-how-strangers-learned-to-trust-each-other:t9:o4:1
# text = True, laws can only exist if they are written on paper
1	True	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	laws	law	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	exist	exist	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	paper	paper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exist** | can | True laws |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **write** *a condition, not said to happen* | present · passive |  | laws *= law* |  | paper |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme on paper=Destination |

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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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