---
title: Your mate types "The phone lost it's charge." What's the quick test? — The apostrophe war · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate types "The phone lost it's charge." What's the quick test? Test 9 · ★ 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 was wrong.
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · The apostrophe war

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate types "The phone lost it's charge." What's the quick test?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, phone, quick test · **What happens:** type, lose, be · **To what, where:** charge · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate types "The phone lost it's charge."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t9:1
# text = Your mate types "The phone lost it's charge."
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	types	type	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	phone	phone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	charge	charge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **type** | present | Your mate |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **lose** *in a quote* | past | the phone |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | phone | charge |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 the quick test?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t9:2
# text = What's the quick test?
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	quick	quick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	test	test	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 quick test |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ask whether the phone is plural

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t9:o1:1
# text = Ask whether the phone is plural
1	Ask	ask	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	phone	phone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	plural	plural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the phone |  |  |  |  | plural *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Use it's whenever the word ends in s

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t9:o2:1
# text = Use it's whenever the word ends in s
1	Use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	whenever	whenever	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	1	advmod	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	ends	end	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl:relcl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | it |  |  |  |  | whenever *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **end** | present | the word |  |  | s |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Try "it is": "lost it is charge" fails, so its

<!-- fold The tree, 10 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t9:o3:1
# text = Try "it is": "lost it is charge" fails, so its
1	Try	try	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	csubj	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	charge	charge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
13	fails	fail	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	so	so	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
16	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | imperative | you *not said here* | charge |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Stimulus be=Experiencer its=Result |
| 2 | **lose** *in a quote* | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | it | charge |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **fail** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Add more apostrophes until it looks right

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:15-the-apostrophe-war:t9:o4:1
# text = Add more apostrophes until it looks right
1	Add	add	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	amod	_	_
3	apostrophes	apostrophe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
4	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	looks	look	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl	_	_
7	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | more apostrophes |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent apostrophe=Patient |
| 2 | **look** | present | it |  |  |  |  | right *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |

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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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