---
title: Identify the figure of speech employed when a child, having eaten lu… — Starving, a million times and a ton: e… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the figure of speech employed when a child, having eaten luncheon three and a half hours previously, declares that he is «starving». Exam question 1 of lesson 44 «Starving, a million times and a ton: everyday hyperbole» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tr
---

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# Exam question 1 · Starving, a million times and a ton: everyday hyperbole

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the figure of speech employed when a child, having eaten luncheon three and a half hours previously, declares that he is «starving».

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, speech, child · **What happens:** identify, employ, have, eat, declare, starve · **To what, where:** figure, child, eaten luncheon, speech · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 44 «Starving, a million times and a ton: everyday hyperbole» of the language course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/44-starving-a-million-times-and-a-ton-everyday-hyperbole/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:44-starving-a-million-times-and-a-ton-everyday-hyperbole:e1:1
# text = Identify the figure of speech employed when a child, having eaten luncheon three and a half hours previously, declares that he is «starving».
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	figure	figure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
7	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	having	have	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	advcl	_	_
12	eaten	eat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	amod	_	_
13	luncheon	luncheon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	18	nummod	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	half	half	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing|NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac	14	conj	_	_
18	hours	hour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl:unmarked	_	_
19	previously	previously	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
21	declares	declare	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
22	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	26	mark	_	_
23	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	26	nsubj	_	_
24	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	26	aux	_	_
25	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	26	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	starving	starve	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	21	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	26	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the figure of speech |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent figure=Theme |
| 2 | **employ** | participle | speech *not said here* | a child |  |  |  |  | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **have** | gerund | you *not said here* | eaten luncheon |  |  | hour | previously *property* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent luncheon=Patient |
| 4 | **eat** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **declare** *speech: other* | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 6 | **starve** *in a quote* | present · progressive | child |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 7 | **figure** |  |  | speech |  |  |  |  | nom figure «communication transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A literal statement of a condition requiring medical attention

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:44-starving-a-million-times-and-a-ton-everyday-hyperbole:e1:o1:1
# text = A literal statement of a condition requiring medical attention
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	literal	literal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	statement	statement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	condition	condition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	requiring	require	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
8	medical	medical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	attention	attention	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | gerund | a condition *not said here* | medical attention |  |  |  |  | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme attention=Precondition |
| 2 | **state** |  |  | a condition |  |  |  |  | nom statement «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration expressing a strong feeling

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:44-starving-a-million-times-and-a-ton-everyday-hyperbole:e1:o2:1
# text = Hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration expressing a strong feeling
1	Hyperbole	hyperbole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	deliberate	deliberate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	exaggeration	exaggeration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	conj	_	_
6	expressing	express	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **express** | gerund | a deliberate exaggeration *not said here* | a strong feeling |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent feeling=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Understatement, a deliberate diminution of the facts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:44-starving-a-million-times-and-a-ton-everyday-hyperbole:e1:o3:1
# text = Understatement, a deliberate diminution of the facts
1	Understatement	understatement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	deliberate	deliberate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	diminution	diminution	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **diminish** |  | the facts |  |  |  |  |  | nom diminution «process intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A precise report of the hours elapsed since his meal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:44-starving-a-million-times-and-a-ton-everyday-hyperbole:e1:o4:1
# text = A precise report of the hours elapsed since his meal
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	precise	precise	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	report	report	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	hours	hour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
7	elapsed	elapse	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	since	since	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	meal	meal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **elapse** | participle |  | the hours *not said here* |  |  | since his meal |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **report** |  |  | the hours |  |  |  |  | nom report «communication transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- 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 -->

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