---
title: What would happen if a British boy in New York asked a shop for "a r… — British and American words · tree and pragmatics
description: What would happen if a British boy in New York asked a shop for "a rubber"? (In Britain a rubber is for rubbing out pencil.) Test 8 of lesson 21 «British and American words» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; M
---

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# Test 8 · British and American words

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What would happen if a British boy in New York asked a shop for "a rubber"? (In Britain a rubber is for rubbing out pencil.)

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** British boy, rubber · **What happens:** happen, ask, rub out · **To what, where:** shop, pencil, Britain

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 of lesson 21 «British and American words» 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/21-british-and-american-words/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* What would happen if a British boy in New York asked a shop for "a rubber"?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t8:1
# text = What would happen if a British boy in New York asked a shop for "a rubber"?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	British	British	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	New	New	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	flat	_	_
10	York	York	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
11	asked	ask	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	for	for	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	rubber	rubber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **happen** | would |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **ask** *speech: ask* *a condition, not said to happen* | past | a British boy in New York | a shop |  |  |  | for a rubber | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent shop=Recipient |

<!-- .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:* (In Britain a rubber is for rubbing out pencil.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t8:2
# text = (In Britain a rubber is for rubbing out pencil.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rubber	rubber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	rubbing	rub	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
9	out	out	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	pencil	pencil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rub out** | present · progressive | a rubber | pencil |  | Britain |  |  | vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent pencil=Theme in britain=Destination |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He might be misunderstood, because Americans say "eraser"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t8:o1:1
# text = He might be misunderstood, because Americans say "eraser"
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	misunderstood	misunderstand	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	Americans	American	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	eraser	eraser	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **misunderstand** | might · passive |  | He |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Stimulus |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Americans | eraser |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent eraser=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shop would give him a ball

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t8:o2:1
# text = The shop would give him a ball
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	iobj	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	ball	ball	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | would | the shop | a ball | him *= he* |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent he=Recipient ball=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing, because every American also says "rubber" for a pencil eraser

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t8:o3:1
# text = Nothing, because every American also says "rubber" for a pencil eraser
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
4	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	det	_	_
5	American	American	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	acl:relcl	_	_
6	also	also	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	rubber	rubber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	pencil	pencil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	eraser	eraser	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Nothing | rubber |  |  |  | for a pencil eraser | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent rubber=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He would be handed a car tyre, because that's what rubber means there

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t8:o4:1
# text = He would be handed a car tyre, because that's what rubber means there
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	handed	hand	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	nsubj	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	tyre	tyre	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
13	rubber	rubber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
14	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
15	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	14	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hand** | would · passive |  | He |  |  |  | rubber *obl:unmarked* | vn send-11.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: subject=Destination tyre=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | present | that |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **mean** | present |  |  |  | there |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=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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