---
title: In a cartoon, a knight speaks to his best mate like a king's speech:… — Formal and informal: a mate versus the… · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon, a knight speaks to his best mate like a king's speech: "Prithee, good sir, pass the crisps." What's funny about it? Test 8 of lesson 16 «Formal and informal: a mate versus the head teacher» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Test 8 · Formal and informal: a mate versus the head teacher

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon, a knight speaks to his best mate like a king's speech: "Prithee, good sir, pass the crisps." What's funny about it?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** knight, Prithee, king · **What happens:** speak, pass, be · **To what, where:** cartoon, crisps · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 of lesson 16 «Formal and informal: a mate versus the head teacher» 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/16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon, a knight speaks to his best mate like a king's speech: "Prithee, good sir, pass the crisps."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher:t8:1
# text = In a cartoon, a knight speaks to his best mate like a king's speech: "Prithee, good sir, pass the crisps."
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	knight	knight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	speaks	speak	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
10	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	11	amod	_	_
11	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
12	like	like	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	's	PART	POS	_	14	case	_	_
16	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	19	punct	_	_
18	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	Prithee	Prithee	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	24	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
21	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	sir	sir	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	24	punct	_	_
24	pass	pass	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	parataxis	_	_
25	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
26	crisps	crisp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	24	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	24	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **speak** *speech: other* | present | a knight |  |  | a cartoon |  | to knight's best mate; like a king's speech | tree rules |
| 2 | **pass** *in a quote* | infinitive | Prithee | the crisps |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-3 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme crisp=Trajectory |
| 3 | **speak** |  | a king |  |  |  |  |  | nom speech «communication transitive»: poss=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 funny about it?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher:t8:2
# text = What's funny about it?
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	funny	funny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | about speech; funny *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Prithee is a word for crisps in old English

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher:t8:o1:1
# text = Prithee is a word for crisps in old English
1	Prithee	Prithee	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	crisps	crisp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Prithee | a word |  |  |  | for crisps in old English | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He uses a very formal style for a chatty moment

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher:t8:o2:1
# text = He uses a very formal style for a chatty moment
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	uses	use	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	very	very	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	formal	formal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	style	style	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	chatty	chatty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	moment	moment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | He | a formal style |  |  | moment |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent style=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Knights were not allowed to eat crisps at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher:t8:o3:1
# text = Knights were not allowed to eat crisps at all
1	Knights	knight	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	crisps	crisp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **allow** | past · passive |  | Knights |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **eat** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | Knights *not said here* | crisps |  | all |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent crisp=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing, everyone talks to their mates like that

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher:t8:o4:1
# text = Nothing, everyone talks to their mates like that
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	4	nsubj	_	_
4	talks	talk	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	mates	mate	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **talk** | present | Nothing |  |  |  |  | to their mates like that | vn talk-37.5 «NP V PP.co-agent»: agent=Agent to mate=Co-Agent |

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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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- ↑ back to [Formal and informal: a mate versus the head teacher](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/16-formal-and-informal-a-mate-versus-the-head-teacher/)