---
title: In a cartoon, a grammar robot says "To boldly go is ILLEGAL!" and ex… — Is there one proper English? The big a… · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon, a grammar robot says "To boldly go is ILLEGAL!" and explodes. What's the truth? Test 7 · ★★★ 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 option; Mova's
---

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# Test 7 · ★★★ · Is there one proper English? The big arguments

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon, a grammar robot says "To boldly go is ILLEGAL!" and explodes. What's the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** grammar robot, truth · **What happens:** say, go, be, explode · **To what, where:** cartoon · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★★ 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/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon, a grammar robot says "To boldly go is ILLEGAL!" and explodes.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t7:1
# text = In a cartoon, a grammar robot says "To boldly go is ILLEGAL!" and explodes.
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	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	grammar	grammar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	robot	robot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	To	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
11	boldly	boldly	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	12	advmod	_	_
12	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	advcl	_	_
13	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
14	ILLEGAL	illegal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	explodes	explode	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: express* | present | a grammar robot |  |  | a cartoon |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent in cartoon=Manner |
| 2 | **go** *in a quote* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | boldly *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  |  |  | illegal *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **explode** | present | a grammar robot *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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 truth?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t7:2
# text = What's the truth?
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	4	det	_	_
4	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The robot is right, Star Trek was banned

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t7:o1:1
# text = The robot is right, Star Trek was banned
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	robot	robot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
6	Star	Star	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	appos	_	_
7	Trek	Trek	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	flat	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	banned	ban	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the robot |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **ban** | past · passive |  | right |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most modern style guides say "to boldly go" is fine

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t7:o2:1
# text = Most modern style guides say "to boldly go" is fine
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	4	amod	_	_
2	modern	modern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	style	style	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	guides	guide	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
8	boldly	boldly	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	9	advmod	_	_
9	go	go	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Most modern style guides |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | go *obl*; fine *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It really is illegal in Britain to split an infinitive

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t7:o3:1
# text = It really is illegal in Britain to split an infinitive
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	illegal	illegal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	split	split	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
9	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	infinitive	infinitive	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  | Britain |  | illegal *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **split** | to-infinitive |  | a infinitive |  |  |  |  | vn break-45.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent infinitive=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's illegal only in space films

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:20-is-there-one-proper-english:t7:o4:1
# text = It's illegal only in space films
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	illegal	illegal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	space	space	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	films	film	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

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

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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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