---
title: Your cousin says "the verb always agrees with the nearest noun, inni… — Grammar puzzles, part one · tree and pragmatics
description: Your cousin says "the verb always agrees with the nearest noun, innit, so 'each of the boys have'." What's right? Test 4 · ★★ of lesson 11 «Grammar puzzles, part one» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's c
---

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# Test 4 · ★★ · Grammar puzzles, part one

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your cousin says "the verb always agrees with the nearest noun, innit, so 'each of the boys have'." What's right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cousin, verb, each · **What happens:** say, agree, innit, have, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★★ of lesson 11 «Grammar puzzles, part one» of the language 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/language/11-grammar-puzzles-part-one/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your cousin says "the verb always agrees with the nearest noun, innit, so 'each of the boys have'."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:11-grammar-puzzles-part-one:t4:1
# text = Your cousin says "the verb always agrees with the nearest noun, innit, so 'each of the boys have'."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	verb	verb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	8	advmod	_	_
8	agrees	agree	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
9	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	nearest	near	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	12	amod	_	_
12	noun	noun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	innit	innit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
16	so	so	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
17	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	22	nsubj	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	boys	boy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nmod	_	_
22	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **agree** *speech: agree* *in a quote* | present | the verb |  |  |  |  | with the nearest noun; always *property* | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V PP.co-agent how S»: agent=Agent with noun=Co-Agent |
| 3 | **innit** *in a quote* | infinitive | the verb *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **have** *in a quote* | present | each |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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's right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:11-grammar-puzzles-part-one:t4:2
# text = What's right?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	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 -->
Each of the boy have

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:11-grammar-puzzles-part-one:t4:o1:1
# text = Each of the boy have
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	have	have	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 | **have** | present | Each |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each of the boys has; the subject is each

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:11-grammar-puzzles-part-one:t4:o2:1
# text = Each of the boys has; the subject is each
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	boys	boy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
5	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	subject	subject	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Each | the subject |  |  |  | each *obl:unmarked* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, "have" agrees with "boys", the nearest noun

<!-- fold The tree, 10 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:11-grammar-puzzles-part-one:t4:o3:1
# text = He's right, "have" agrees with "boys", the nearest noun
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	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	8	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
8	agrees	agree	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	boys	boy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	nearest	near	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	16	amod	_	_
16	noun	noun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **agree** *speech: agree* | present |  |  |  |  |  | with boys and the nearest noun | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V PP.co-agent how S»: agent=Agent with boy=Co-Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each of the boys haves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:11-grammar-puzzles-part-one:t4:o4:1
# text = Each of the boys haves
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	0	root	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	boys	boy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	compound	_	_
5	haves	have	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Grammar puzzles, part one, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/11-grammar-puzzles-part-one/t3/)
- next →: [Grammar puzzles, part one, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/11-grammar-puzzles-part-one/t5/)
- ↑ back to [Grammar puzzles, part one](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/11-grammar-puzzles-part-one/)