--- title: A Gen Z cousin says "apostrophes are mid, nobody cares, fr." ("Mid"… — The apostrophe war · tree and pragmatics description: A Gen Z cousin says "apostrophes are mid, nobody cares, fr." ("Mid" means meh, "fr" means for real.) What's true? Test 2 · ★ of lesson 15 «The apostrophe war» 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 wa --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/15-the-apostrophe-war/t2/) [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/) / [The apostrophe war](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/15-the-apostrophe-war/) / t2 # Test 2 · ★ · The apostrophe war A Gen Z cousin says "apostrophes are mid, nobody cares, fr." ("Mid" means meh, "fr" means for real.) What's true? **Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Z cousin, apostrophes, nobody, Mid, fr · **What happens:** say, be, care, mean · **To what, where:** fr, meh · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is test 2 · ★ of lesson 15 «The apostrophe war» 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/15-the-apostrophe-war/#t2). ## The question {#question} *Sentence 1:* A Gen Z cousin says "apostrophes are mid, nobody cares, fr." ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:1 # text = A Gen Z cousin says "apostrophes are mid, nobody cares, fr." 1 A a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 4 det _ _ 2 Gen gen NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 compound _ _ 3 Z z NOUN NN Number=Sing 4 compound _ _ 4 cousin cousin NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 nsubj _ _ 5 says say VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 6 " " PUNCT `` _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 7 apostrophes apostrophe NOUN NNS Number=Plur 9 nsubj _ _ 8 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 9 cop _ _ 9 mid mid ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 5 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 10 , , PUNCT , _ 12 punct _ _ 11 nobody nobody PRON NN Number=Sing|PronType=Neg 12 nsubj _ _ 12 cares care VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 9 parataxis _ SpaceAfter=No 13 , , PUNCT , _ 14 punct _ _ 14 fr fr NOUN NN Number=Sing 12 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 15 . . PUNCT . _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 16 " " PUNCT '' _ 9 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a Z cousin | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent | | 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | apostrophes | | | | | mid *property* | tree rules | | 3 | **care** *in a quote* | present | nobody | fr | | | | | tree rules | 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:* ("Mid" means meh, "fr" means for real.) ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:2 # text = ("Mid" means meh, "fr" means for real.) 1 ( ( PUNCT -LRB- _ 5 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 2 " " PUNCT `` _ 3 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 3 Mid Mid PROPN NNP Number=Sing 5 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 4 " " PUNCT '' _ 3 punct _ _ 5 means mean VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 6 meh meh NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 7 , , PUNCT , _ 11 punct _ _ 8 " " PUNCT `` _ 9 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 9 fr fr NOUN NN Number=Sing 11 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 10 " " PUNCT '' _ 9 punct _ _ 11 means mean VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ _ 12 for for ADP IN _ 13 case _ _ 13 real real ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 11 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 14 . . PUNCT . _ 5 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 15 ) ) PUNCT -RRB- _ 5 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **mean** | present | Mid | meh | | | | | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent meh=Topic | | 2 | **mean** | present | fr | | | | | for real | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot for real=Attribute | *Sentence 3:* What's true? ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:3 # text = What's true? 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 true true ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 4 ? ? PUNCT . _ 3 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is** | present | | | | | | true *property* | tree rules | ## The options {#options} ### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1} Apostrophes were banned in 2012 ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:o1:1 # text = Apostrophes were banned in 2012 1 Apostrophes apostrophe NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 nsubj:pass _ _ 2 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 3 aux:pass _ _ 3 banned ban VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 0 root _ _ 4 in in ADP IN _ 5 case _ _ 5 2012 2012 NUM CD NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card 3 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **ban** | past · passive | | Apostrophes | | 2012 | | | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme | ### Option 2 {#o2} Nobody has ever argued about apostrophes ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:o2:1 # text = Nobody has ever argued about apostrophes 1 Nobody nobody PRON NN Number=Sing|PronType=Neg 4 nsubj:pass _ _ 2 has have AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 4 aux _ _ 3 ever ever ADV RB PronType=Ind 4 advmod _ _ 4 argued argue VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 0 root _ _ 5 about about ADP IN _ 6 case _ _ 6 apostrophes apostrophe NOUN NNS Number=Plur 4 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **argue** *speech: disagree* | present · perfect · passive | | Nobody | | | ever | about apostrophes | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V S»: subject=Topic | ### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3} Some people care a lot; councils even got complaints about removing them ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:o3:1 # text = Some people care a lot; councils even got complaints about removing them 1 Some some DET DT PronType=Ind 2 det _ _ 2 people people NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 nsubj _ _ 3 care care VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 4 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 5 det _ _ 5 lot lot NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 obl:unmarked _ SpaceAfter=No 6 ; ; PUNCT : _ 9 punct _ _ 7 councils council NOUN NNS Number=Plur 9 nsubj _ _ 8 even even ADV RB _ 9 advmod _ _ 9 got get VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 3 parataxis _ _ 10 complaints complaint NOUN NNS Number=Plur 9 obj _ _ 11 about about SCONJ IN _ 12 mark _ _ 12 removing remove VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 9 advcl _ _ 13 them they PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 12 obj _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **care** | present | some people | a lot | | | | | vn care-88.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer | | 2 | **get** | past | councils | complaints | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer complaint=Stimulus | | 3 | **remove** | gerund | councils *not said here* | complaints *= complaint* | | | | | vn fire-10.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme | ### Option 4 {#o4} Only teachers have ever noticed them ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t2:o4:1 # text = Only teachers have ever noticed them 1 Only only ADV RB _ 5 advmod _ _ 2 teachers teacher NOUN NNS Number=Plur 5 nsubj:pass _ _ 3 have have AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 5 aux _ _ 4 ever ever ADV RB PronType=Ind 5 advmod _ _ 5 noticed notice VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 0 root _ _ 6 them they PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 5 obj _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **notice** | present · perfect · passive | | teachers | | | ever | | tree rules | **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: [The apostrophe war, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/15-the-apostrophe-war/t1/) - next →: [The apostrophe war, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/15-the-apostrophe-war/t3/) - ↑ back to [The apostrophe war](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/15-the-apostrophe-war/)