---
title: Hollie reckons Brits and Americans "basically can't understand each… — British and American words · tree and pragmatics
description: Hollie reckons Brits and Americans "basically can't understand each other, it's two languages". Is she right? Test 9 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; Mova's choice wa
---

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# Test 9 · British and American words

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hollie reckons Brits and Americans "basically can't understand each other, it's two languages". Is she right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Hollie, it · **What happens:** reckon, not understand, be · **To what, where:** Brits, each, two languages · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Hollie reckons Brits and Americans "basically can't understand each other, it's two languages".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t9:1
# text = Hollie reckons Brits and Americans "basically can't understand each other, it's two languages".
1	Hollie	Hollie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	reckons	reckon	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	Brits	brit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	Americans	American	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	basically	basically	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
8	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	understand	understand	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
11	each	each	DET	DT	ExtPos=PRON|PronType=Rcp	10	obj	_	_
12	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	fixed	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	cop	_	_
16	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	17	nummod	_	_
17	languages	language	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reckon** | present | Hollie | Brits |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **understand** *in a quote* | can |  | each |  |  |  | basically *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer each=Stimulus |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | it | two languages |  |  |  |  | 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:* Is she right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t9:2
# text = Is she right?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	right	right	ADV	RB	_	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 | Hollie |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, because there are no differences at all between them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t9:o1:1
# text = No, because there are no differences at all between them
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
4	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	5	expl	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	differences	difference	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	0	root	_	_
10	between	between	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, they need interpreters to talk, just like French and English speakers do

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t9:o2:1
# text = Yes, they need interpreters to talk, just like French and English speakers do
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	interpreters	interpreter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	talk	talk	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	just	just	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	English	English	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	speakers	speaker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	conj	_	_
15	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present | they | interpreters |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **talk** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | interpreters *not said here* |  |  |  |  | like French and English speakers | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **do** | present | they *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only on the phone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t9:o3:1
# text = Yes, but only on the phone
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	phone	phone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, most differences are small word pairs that are easy to learn

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:21-british-and-american-words:t9:o4:1
# text = No, most differences are small word pairs that are easy to learn
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	4	amod	_	_
4	differences	difference	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	pairs	pair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
10	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	easy	easy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	acl:relcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	learn	learn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | most differences | small word pairs |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | small word pairs |  |  |  |  | easy *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **learn** | to-infinitive | small word pairs *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-1 «NP V»: 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.

<!-- /div -->

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