---
title: Your friend says "a joke has to be true, otherwise it's a lie." What… — Puns and jokes that need a pun · tree and pragmatics
description: Your friend says "a joke has to be true, otherwise it's a lie." What's true? Test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 28 «Puns and jokes that need a pun» 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 8 · ★★★ · Puns and jokes that need a pun

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your friend says "a joke has to be true, otherwise it's a lie." What's true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** friend, joke · **What happens:** say, have, be · **To what, where:** lie · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 28 «Puns and jokes that need a pun» 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/28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your friend says "a joke has to be true, otherwise it's a lie."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun:t8:1
# text = Your friend says "a joke has to be true, otherwise it's a lie."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
9	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	cop	_	_
10	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	otherwise	otherwise	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your friend |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **have** *in a quote* | present | a joke |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | a joke *not said here* |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | joke | a lie |  |  |  | otherwise *property* | 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:* What's true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun:t8:2
# 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Jokes are lies and should be banned

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun:t8:o1:1
# text = Jokes are lies and should be banned
1	Jokes	joke	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	lies	lie	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	banned	ban	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Jokes | lies |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **ban** | should · passive | Jokes *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V S\_ING» |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Puns are fun because both meanings work at once

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun:t8:o2:1
# text = Puns are fun because both meanings work at once
1	Puns	pun	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	fun	fun	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	meanings	meaning	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	work	work	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Puns |  |  |  |  | fun *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **work** | present | both meanings |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at once=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, all jokes must be true or they're just lies

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun:t8:o3:1
# text = He's right, all jokes must be true or they're just lies
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	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	jokes	joke	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
7	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
8	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	cop	_	_
9	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
13	just	just	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	lies	lie	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | must | all jokes |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | present | jokes *= joke* | lies |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only true jokes make people laugh

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:28-puns-and-jokes-that-need-a-pun:t8:o4:1
# text = Only true jokes make people laugh
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
2	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	jokes	joke	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
6	laugh	laugh	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | true jokes | people |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **laugh** | infinitive | people *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «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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