---
title: Ollie reckons "the Normans banned English, that's why we talk French… — Where English came from · tree and pragmatics
description: Ollie reckons "the Normans banned English, that's why we talk French words". What's true? Test 2 · ★ of lesson 22 «Where English came from» 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 was wrong.
---

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# Test 2 · ★ · Where English came from

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ollie reckons "the Normans banned English, that's why we talk French words". What's true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Ollie, Normans, that, we · **What happens:** reckon, ban, be, talk · **To what, where:** English, French words · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 · ★ of lesson 22 «Where English came from» 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/22-where-english-came-from/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ollie reckons "the Normans banned English, that's why we talk French words".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:t2:1
# text = Ollie reckons "the Normans banned English, that's why we talk French words".
1	Ollie	Ollie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	reckons	reckon	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	Normans	Norman	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	banned	ban	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
7	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	parataxis	_	_
12	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	talk	talk	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	advcl:relcl	_	_
14	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reckon** | present | Ollie |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **ban** *in a quote* | past | the Normans | English |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer english=Theme |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | that |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **talk** *in a quote* | present | we | French words |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent word=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:* What's true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:t2:2
# text = What's true?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	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 |  |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
English was banned, but came back secretly in 1100

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:t2:o1:1
# text = English was banned, but came back secretly in 1100
1	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	banned	ban	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
7	back	back	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	1100	1100	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ban** | past · passive |  | English |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **come back** | past |  |  |  | 1100 |  | secretly *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in 1100=Location |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Normans spoke English already

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:t2:o2:1
# text = The Normans spoke English already
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Normans	Norman	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	spoke	speak	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	already	already	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **speak** *speech: other* | past | the Normans | English |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
English survived and borrowed many French words

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:t2:o3:1
# text = English survived and borrowed many French words
1	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	survived	survive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	borrowed	borrow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
5	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	French	French	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **survive** | past | English |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **borrow** | past | English *not said here* | many French words |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, English was banned for about 300 years by law

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:t2:o4:1
# text = He's right, English was banned for about 300 years by law
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|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	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	banned	ban	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	about	about	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	300	300	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	11	nummod	_	_
11	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	law	law	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

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

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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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