---
title: A Sheffield dad says "We was robbed, that weren't a penalty!" ("Were… — Is there one proper English? The big a… · tree and pragmatics
description: A Sheffield dad says "We was robbed, that weren't a penalty!" ("Weren't" here means wasn't.) Is he stupid? Test 6 · ★★★ of lesson 20 «Is there one proper English? The big arguments» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each o
---

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# Test 6 · ★★★ · Is there one proper English? The big arguments

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Sheffield dad says "We was robbed, that weren't a penalty!" ("Weren't" here means wasn't.) Is he stupid?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Sheffield dad, that, dad · **What happens:** say, rob, not be, mean, be · **To what, where:** We, penalty · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★★ of lesson 20 «Is there one proper English? The big arguments» 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/20-is-there-one-proper-english/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A Sheffield dad says "We was robbed, that weren't a penalty!"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:1
# text = A Sheffield dad says "We was robbed, that weren't a penalty!"
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	Sheffield	sheffield	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	dad	dad	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	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	robbed	rob	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	14	nsubj	_	_
11	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	penalty	penalty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: express* | present | a Sheffield dad |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **rob** *in a quote* | past · passive |  | We |  |  |  |  | vn cheat-10.6.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Source |
| 3 | **not** **is a** *in a quote* | past | that | a penalty |  |  |  |  | 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:* ("Weren't" here means wasn't.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:2
# text = ("Weren't" here means wasn't.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
6	here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	3	advmod	_	_
7	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **be** | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Is he stupid?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:3
# text = Is he stupid?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stupid	stupid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, he doesn't know any grammar at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:o1:1
# text = Yes, he doesn't know any grammar at all
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	det	_	_
8	grammar	grammar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **know** | present · do-support | he | any grammar |  | all |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer grammar=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, he's speaking French by mistake

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:o2:1
# text = No, he's speaking French by mistake
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	speaking	speak	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	obj	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	mistake	mistake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **speak** *speech: other* | present · progressive | he | French |  |  |  | by mistake | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, Sheffield people can't speak English

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:o3:1
# text = Yes, Sheffield people can't speak English
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	Sheffield	sheffield	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
5	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	speak	speak	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **speak** *speech: other* | can | Sheffield people | English |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, he's using his dialect, which everyone understands

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t6:o4:1
# text = No, he's using his dialect, which everyone understands
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	using	use	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	dialect	dialect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
10	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	11	nsubj	_	_
11	understands	understand	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present · progressive | he | his dialect |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dialect=Patient |
| 2 | **understand** | present | his dialect |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- 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 -->

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