---
title: Your mate says "a mouse is an animal, the computer one is a mistake.… — Words that changed their meaning · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate says "a mouse is an animal, the computer one is a mistake." What's the fair answer? Test 9 of lesson 38 «Words that changed their meaning» 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 9 · Words that changed their meaning

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate says "a mouse is an animal, the computer one is a mistake." What's the fair answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, mouse, computer one, fair answer · **What happens:** say, be · **To what, where:** animal, mistake · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 38 «Words that changed their meaning» 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/38-words-that-changed-their-meaning/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate says "a mouse is an animal, the computer one is a mistake."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t9:1
# text = Your mate says "a mouse is an animal, the computer one is a mistake."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	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	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	computer	computer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
14	is	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	mistake	mistake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | a mouse | a animal |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | the computer one | a mistake |  |  |  |  | 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 the fair answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t9:2
# text = What's the fair answer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the fair answer |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The computer meaning is older than the animal one

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t9:o1:1
# text = The computer meaning is older than the animal one
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	computer	computer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	older	old	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
6	than	than	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the computer meaning |  |  |  |  | than the animal one; old *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Mouse" only means the computer thing now

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t9:o2:1
# text = "Mouse" only means the computer thing now
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	computer	computer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	5	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Mouse | the computer thing |  |  | now |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thing=Topic |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Old words get new jobs with new technology, and both meanings are right

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t9:o3:1
# text = Old words get new jobs with new technology, and both meanings are right
1	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	jobs	job	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	technology	technology	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
11	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
12	meanings	meaning	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
13	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
14	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | Old words | new jobs |  |  |  | with new technology | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer job=Stimulus |
| 2 | **is** | present | both meanings |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, the computer meaning is just a mistake that people keep making

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t9:o4:1
# text = He's right, the computer meaning is just a mistake that people keep making
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	,	_	11	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	computer	computer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
9	just	just	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	mistake	mistake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	_
12	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	14	obj	_	_
13	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
14	keep	keep	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	acl:relcl	_	_
15	making	make	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** | present | the computer meaning | a mistake |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **keep** | present | people | a mistake |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent that=Theme |
| 4 | **make** | gerund | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |

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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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