---
title: ★★ «I swear down», «no cap» and «literally» are added to boasts. Wha… — My dad could lift a car: playground bo… · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★ «I swear down», «no cap» and «literally» are added to boasts. What do they change? Test 9 of lesson 48 «My dad could lift a car: playground boasting» 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 wron
---

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# Test 9 · My dad could lift a car: playground boasting

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★ «I swear down», «no cap» and «literally» are added to boasts. What do they change?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** I, boasts · **What happens:** swear down, add, change · **To what, where:** ★ · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 48 «My dad could lift a car: playground boasting» 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/48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★★ «I swear down», «no cap» and «literally» are added to boasts.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting:t9:1
# text = ★★ «I swear down», «no cap» and «literally» are added to boasts.
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	18	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	1	dep	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	swear	swear	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
6	down	down	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
11	cap	cap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	literally	literally	ADV	RB	_	11	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
17	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux:pass	_	_
18	added	add	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
19	to	to	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	boasts	boast	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	18	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swear down** *in a quote* | present | I | ★ *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Agent ★=Eventuality |
| 2 | **add** *speech: assert* | present · passive |  | ★ |  |  |  | to boasts | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: subject=Patient to boast=Co-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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What do they change?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting:t9:2
# text = What do they change?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	change	change	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | present · do-support | boasts *= boast* |  |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They turn a boast into a checked fact you can trust

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting:t9:o1:1
# text = They turn a boast into a checked fact you can trust
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	turn	turn	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	checked	check	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	fact	fact	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
9	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	trust	trust	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | They | a boast |  | a checked fact |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent boast=Theme into fact=Trajectory |
| 2 | **check** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **trust** | can | you | a checked fact *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fact=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They make the number in the boast ten times smaller

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting:t9:o2:1
# text = They make the number in the boast ten times smaller
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	ten	ten	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl:unmarked	_	_
10	smaller	small	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	2	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | They | the number |  | the boast |  | small *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset number=Product |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They mean the speaker is telling a lie on purpose

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting:t9:o3:1
# text = They mean the speaker is telling a lie on purpose
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	mean	mean	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	speaker	speaker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	telling	tell	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	ccomp	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present · progressive | the speaker | a lie |  | purpose |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent lie=Recipient |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing: they make a boast sound surer but not truer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:48-my-dad-could-lift-a-car-playground-boasting:t9:o4:1
# text = Nothing: they make a boast sound surer but not truer
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	boast	boast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	sound	sound	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
8	surer	sure	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	7	xcomp	_	_
9	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	truer	true	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | Nothing | a boast |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **sound** | infinitive | a boast *not said here* |  |  |  |  | sure *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |

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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.

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