---
title: Grandad, hearing "wicked" from a Bostonian, thinks the pizza is evil… — Adjectives and adverbs: describing thi… · tree and pragmatics
description: Grandad, hearing "wicked" from a Bostonian, thinks the pizza is evil. What's the best way to explain? Test 9 of lesson 4 «Adjectives and adverbs: describing things and actions» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/4-adjectives-and-adverbs/t9/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/) / [Adjectives and adverbs: describing thi…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/4-adjectives-and-adverbs/) / t9

# Test 9 · Adjectives and adverbs: describing things and actions

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandad, hearing "wicked" from a Bostonian, thinks the pizza is evil. What's the best way to explain?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Grandad, pizza, best way · **What happens:** think, be, explain · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 4 «Adjectives and adverbs: describing things and actions» 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/4-adjectives-and-adverbs/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Grandad, hearing "wicked" from a Bostonian, thinks the pizza is evil.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:4-adjectives-and-adverbs:t9:1
# text = Grandad, hearing "wicked" from a Bostonian, thinks the pizza is evil.
1	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
3	hearing	hearing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	wicked	wicked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Bostonian	Bostonian	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
11	thinks	think	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	pizza	pizza	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
15	evil	evil	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | present | Grandad |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the pizza |  |  |  |  | evil *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 the best way to explain?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:4-adjectives-and-adverbs:t9:2
# text = What's the best way to explain?
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	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	explain	explain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the best way |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **explain** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive | the best way *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In Boston wicked means very, so it's very good

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:4-adjectives-and-adverbs:t9:o1:1
# text = In Boston wicked means very, so it's very good
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	Boston	Boston	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
3	wicked	wicked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	nsubj	_	_
4	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	very	very	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
10	very	very	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | wicked |  |  |  |  | in Boston | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot in boston=Attribute |
| 2 | **is** | present | it |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wicked means small in America

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:4-adjectives-and-adverbs:t9:o2:1
# text = Wicked means small in America
1	Wicked	wicked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	America	America	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Wicked |  |  |  |  | in America; small *property* | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot in america=Attribute |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It really is an evil pizza, with something nasty baked in

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:4-adjectives-and-adverbs:t9:o3:1
# text = It really is an evil pizza, with something nasty baked in
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	evil	evil	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	pizza	pizza	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	appos	_	_
10	nasty	nasty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
11	baked	bake	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a evil pizza |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **bake in** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wicked is a Scottish word for cold

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:4-adjectives-and-adverbs:t9:o4:1
# text = Wicked is a Scottish word for cold
1	Wicked	wick	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	Scottish	Scottish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wick** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** | present |  | a Scottish word |  |  |  | for cold | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Adjectives and adverbs: describing thi…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/4-adjectives-and-adverbs/t8/)
- next →: [Adjectives and adverbs: describing thi…, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/4-adjectives-and-adverbs/t10/)
- ↑ back to [Adjectives and adverbs: describing things and actions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/4-adjectives-and-adverbs/)