--- title: Your mate says "commas are just for breathing, they don't change not… — Punctuation that changes meaning · tree and pragmatics description: Your mate says "commas are just for breathing, they don't change nothing." What's the best reply? Test 1 · ★ of lesson 14 «Punctuation that changes meaning» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning/t1/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/) / [Punctuation that changes meaning](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning/) / t1 # Test 1 · ★ · Punctuation that changes meaning Your mate says "commas are just for breathing, they don't change nothing." What's the best reply? **Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, commas, best reply · **What happens:** say, be, not change · **To what, where:** nothing · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is test 1 · ★ of lesson 14 «Punctuation that changes meaning» 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/14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning/#t1). ## The question {#question} *Sentence 1:* Your mate says "commas are just for breathing, they don't change nothing." ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning:t1:1 # text = Your mate says "commas are just for breathing, they don't change nothing." 1 Your your PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 2 nmod:poss _ _ 2 mate mate 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 `` _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 5 commas comma NOUN NNS Number=Plur 9 nsubj _ _ 6 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 9 cop _ _ 7 just just ADV RB _ 9 advmod _ _ 8 for for ADP IN _ 9 case _ _ 9 breathing breathing NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 10 , , PUNCT , _ 14 punct _ _ 11 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 14 nsubj _ _ 12 do do AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 14 aux _ SpaceAfter=No 13 n't not PART RB Polarity=Neg 14 advmod _ _ 14 change change VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 3 ccomp _ _ 15 nothing nothing PRON NN Number=Sing|PronType=Neg 14 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 16 . . PUNCT . _ 14 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 17 " " PUNCT '' _ 14 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your mate | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | commas | | | | | for breathing | tree rules | | 3 | **not** **change** *in a quote* | present · do-support | commas *= comma* | nothing | | | | | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Patient | 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. *Sentence 2:* What's the best reply? ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning:t1:2 # text = What's the best reply? 1 What what PRON WP PronType=Int 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 2 's 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 best good ADJ JJS Degree=Sup 5 amod _ _ 5 reply reply NOUN NN Number=Sing 1 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 6 ? ? PUNCT . _ 1 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | the best reply | | | | | | tree rules | ## The options {#options} ### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1} He's right, commas are just decoration for breathing in ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning:t1:o1:1 # text = He's right, commas are just decoration for breathing in 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 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 4 , , PUNCT , _ 8 punct _ _ 5 commas comma NOUN NNS Number=Plur 8 nsubj _ _ 6 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 8 cop _ _ 7 just just ADV RB _ 8 advmod _ _ 8 decoration decoration NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 parataxis _ _ 9 for for SCONJ IN _ 10 mark _ _ 10 breathing breathe VERB VBG VerbForm=Ger 8 acl _ _ 11 in in ADP RP _ 10 compound:prt _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is** | present | He | | | | | right *property* | tree rules | | 2 | **is a** | present | commas | decoration | | | | | tree rules | | 3 | **breathe in** | gerund | decoration *not said here* | | | | | | vn breathe-40.1.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | ### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2} "Let's eat Grandma" and "Let's eat, Grandma" prove they change meaning ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning:t1:o2:1 # text = "Let's eat Grandma" and "Let's eat, Grandma" prove they change meaning 1 " " PUNCT `` _ 2 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 2 Let let VERB VB Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 3 's we PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs 2 obj _ _ 4 eat eat VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 2 xcomp _ _ 5 Grandma Grandma PROPN NNP Number=Sing 4 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 6 " " PUNCT '' _ 2 punct _ _ 7 and and CCONJ CC _ 9 cc _ _ 8 " " PUNCT `` _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 9 Let let VERB VB Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin 2 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 10 's we PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs 9 obj _ _ 11 eat eat VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 9 xcomp _ SpaceAfter=No 12 , , PUNCT , _ 13 punct _ _ 13 Grandma grandma NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 vocative _ SpaceAfter=No 14 " " PUNCT `` _ 15 punct _ _ 15 prove prove VERB VB Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin 2 conj _ _ 16 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 17 nsubj _ _ 17 change change VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 15 ccomp _ _ 18 meaning meaning NOUN NN Number=Sing 17 obj _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **let** *in a quote* | imperative | you *not said here* | 's | | | | Grandma *vocative* | tree rules | | 2 | **eat** *in a quote* | infinitive | 's *not said here* | Grandma | | | | | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent grandma=Patient | | 3 | **let** *in a quote* | infinitive | you *not said here* | 's | | | | | tree rules | | 4 | **eat** *in a quote* | infinitive | 's *not said here* | | | | | | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 5 | **prove** | infinitive | you *not said here* | | | | | | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme | | 6 | **change** | present | they | meaning | | | | | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent meaning=Patient | ### Option 3 {#o3} Commas only matter in poems ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning:t1:o3:1 # text = Commas only matter in poems 1 Commas comma NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 nsubj _ _ 2 only only ADV RB _ 3 advmod _ _ 3 matter matter VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 4 in in ADP IN _ 5 case _ _ 5 poems poem NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **matter** | present | Commas | | | poems | | | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus | ### Option 4 {#o4} Commas change meaning only in French ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning:t1:o4:1 # text = Commas change meaning only in French 1 Commas comma NOUN NNS Number=Plur 2 nsubj _ _ 2 change change VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 3 meaning meaning NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 obj _ _ 4 only only ADV RB _ 2 advmod _ _ 5 in in ADP IN _ 6 case _ _ 6 French French PROPN NNP Number=Sing 2 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **change** | present | Commas | meaning | | French | | | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent meaning=Patient | **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. - ← previous: [Silent letters and the mystery of -ough, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/13-silent-letters-and-the-mystery-of-ough/e4/) - next →: [Punctuation that changes meaning, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning/t2/) - ↑ back to [Punctuation that changes meaning](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/14-punctuation-that-changes-meaning/)