---
title: Your nan from Glasgow says "Ah'm fasting the day, hen." ("The day" m… — Grammar puzzles, part two · tree and pragmatics
description: Your nan from Glasgow says "Ah'm fasting the day, hen." ("The day" means today; "hen" means dear.) What job is "fasting" doing? Test 7 · ★★★ of lesson 36 «Grammar puzzles, part two» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each o
---

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# Test 7 · ★★★ · Grammar puzzles, part two

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your nan from Glasgow says "Ah'm fasting the day, hen." ("The day" means today; "hen" means dear.) What job is "fasting" doing?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** nan, day, hen, job · **What happens:** say, fast, mean, do · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★★ of lesson 36 «Grammar puzzles, part two» 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/36-grammar-puzzles-part-two/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your nan from Glasgow says "Ah'm fasting the day, hen."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:1
# text = Your nan from Glasgow says "Ah'm fasting the day, hen."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	nan	nan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Glasgow	Glasgow	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Ah	ah	INTJ	UH	_	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	fasting	fast	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	ccomp	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your nan from Glasgow |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **fast** *in a quote* | present · progressive |  |  |  |  | day |  | 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:* ("The day" means today; "hen" means dear.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:2
# text = ("The day" means today; "hen" means dear.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
12	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
13	dear	dear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | the day |  |  |  | today |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **mean** | present | hen |  |  |  |  | dear *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What job is "fasting" doing?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:3
# text = What job is "fasting" doing?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	job	job	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	fasting	fast	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	doing	do	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fast** *in a quote* | present · progressive | job |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An adverb: telling how fast

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:o1:1
# text = An adverb: telling how fast
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	adverb	adverb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
4	telling	tell	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
5	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
6	fast	fast	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | gerund | a adverb *not said here* |  |  |  |  | fast *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A verb: going without food

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:o2:1
# text = A verb: going without food
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	verb	verb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
4	going	go	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
5	without	without	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | gerund | a verb *not said here* |  |  |  |  | without food | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An adjective: describing speed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:o3:1
# text = An adjective: describing speed
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	adjective	adjective	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
4	describing	describe	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
5	speed	speed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | gerund | a adjective *not said here* | speed |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent speed=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A noun: a quick race

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:36-grammar-puzzles-part-two:t7:o4:1
# text = A noun: a quick race
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	noun	noun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	quick	quick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	race	race	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
```

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

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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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