---
title: A cartoon narrator says "Look, a murder of crows!" and everyone in t… — Nouns: the names of things, people, pl… · tree and pragmatics
description: A cartoon narrator says "Look, a murder of crows!" and everyone in the park nods. Is that how people really talk? Test 6 of lesson 2 «Nouns: the names of things, people, places and ideas» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

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# Test 6 · Nouns: the names of things, people, places and ideas

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cartoon narrator says "Look, a murder of crows!" and everyone in the park nods. Is that how people really talk?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** cartoon narrator, everyone, people · **What happens:** say, look, nod, murder, be · **To what, where:** murder, crows · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 of lesson 2 «Nouns: the names of things, people, places and ideas» 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/2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cartoon narrator says "Look, a murder of crows!" and everyone in the park nods.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas:t6:1
# text = A cartoon narrator says "Look, a murder of crows!" and everyone in the park nods.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	narrator	narrator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	murder	murder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	crows	crow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
15	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	19	nsubj	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	park	park	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
19	nods	nod	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: express* | present | a cartoon narrator |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **look** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | a murder of crows |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |
| 3 | **nod** | present | everyone |  |  |  |  |  | vn wink-40.3.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **murder** *in a quote* |  |  | crows |  |  |  |  | nom murder «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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:* Is that how people really talk?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas:t6:2
# text = Is that how people really talk?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
2	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
3	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
4	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
5	really	really	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	talk	talk	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it's an old fun name; most people just say "a lot of crows"

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas:t6:o1:1
# text = No, it's an old fun name; most people just say "a lot of crows"
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	fun	fun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
10	most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	11	amod	_	_
11	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
12	just	just	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
14	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	lot	lot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	crows	crow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | it | a old fun name |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | most people | a lot of crows |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent lot=Topic |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, everyone uses it every day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas:t6:o2:1
# text = Yes, everyone uses it every day
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	4	nsubj	_	_
4	uses	use	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the right name is "a flock of murders", as every bird book says

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas:t6:o3:1
# text = No, the right name is "a flock of murders", as every bird book says
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	flock	flock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	murders	murder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
14	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
15	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	17	det	_	_
16	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj	_	_
18	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | the right name | a flock |  |  |  | of murders | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | every bird book |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it is the only correct word

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas:t6:o4:1
# text = Yes, it is the only correct word
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	correct	correct	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | it | the only correct word |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Nouns: the names of things, people, pl…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas/t5/)
- next →: [Nouns: the names of things, people, pl…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas/t7/)
- ↑ back to [Nouns: the names of things, people, places and ideas](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/2-nouns-names-of-things-people-places-ideas/)

