---
title: Ruby's little bro cries "Mum wants Ruby to get HURT!" What would you… — Idioms taken literally · tree and pragmatics
description: Ruby's little bro cries "Mum wants Ruby to get HURT!" What would you tell him? Test 2 · ★★ of lesson 25 «Idioms taken literally» 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 · ★★ · Idioms taken literally

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ruby's little bro cries "Mum wants Ruby to get HURT!" What would you tell him?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** little bro, Mum, Ruby, you · **What happens:** cry, want, hurt, tell · **To what, where:** Ruby · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 · ★★ of lesson 25 «Idioms taken literally» 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/25-idioms-taken-literally/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ruby's little bro cries "Mum wants Ruby to get HURT!"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:25-idioms-taken-literally:t2:1
# text = Ruby's little bro cries "Mum wants Ruby to get HURT!"
1	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	bro	bro	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	cries	cry	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	ccomp	_	_
9	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
11	get	get	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	HURT	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cry** *speech: express* | present | Ruby's little bro |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **want** *in a quote* | present | Mum | Ruby |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **hurt** *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive · passive | Ruby *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle» |

<!-- .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 would you tell him?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:25-idioms-taken-literally:t2:2
# text = What would you tell him?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	iobj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | would | you |  | Ruby |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent he=Recipient what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It means "dance faster"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:25-idioms-taken-literally:t2:o1:1
# text = It means "dance faster"
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	dance	dance	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
5	faster	fast	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **dance** *in a quote* | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | fast *property* | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, Mum is cross about the school play

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:25-idioms-taken-literally:t2:o2:1
# text = He's right, Mum is cross about the school play
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	Mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	cross	cross	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	_
8	about	about	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	play	play	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 | **is** | present | Mum |  |  |  |  | about the school play; cross *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In theatre "break a leg" means good luck

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:25-idioms-taken-literally:t2:o3:1
# text = In theatre "break a leg" means good luck
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	theatre	theatre	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	break	break	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	2	appos	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	leg	leg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
8	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	luck	luck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | a leg |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer leg=Patient |
| 2 | **mean** | present | theatre | good luck |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent luck=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's about a broken chair

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:25-idioms-taken-literally:t2:o4:1
# text = It's about a broken chair
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	about	about	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	amod	_	_
6	chair	chair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **is a** | present | It | a broken chair |  |  |  | about *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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