---
title: It is given that a parent, while water pours across the kitchen floo… — A bit nippy and not ideal: British und… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a parent, while water pours across the kitchen floor from a ruptured pipe, announces a «slight problem». Identify the appropriate response. Exam question 2 of lesson 49 «A bit nippy and not ideal: British understatement» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the depe
---

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# Exam question 2 · A bit nippy and not ideal: British understatement

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a parent, while water pours across the kitchen floor from a ruptured pipe, announces a «slight problem». Identify the appropriate response.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** water, you · **What happens:** give, pour, rupture, announce, identify · **To what, where:** It, kitchen floor, slight problem, appropriate response

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 49 «A bit nippy and not ideal: British understatement» 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/49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement/#e2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a parent, while water pours across the kitchen floor from a ruptured pipe, announces a «slight problem».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:e2:1
# text = It is given that a parent, while water pours across the kitchen floor from a ruptured pipe, announces a «slight problem».
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	pours	pour	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
11	across	across	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	kitchen	kitchen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	from	from	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	ruptured	rupture	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	18	amod	_	_
18	pipe	pipe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
20	announces	announce	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
21	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
22	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	slight	slight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	24	amod	_	_
24	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **pour** | present | water |  |  | the kitchen floor from a ruptured pipe |  |  | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme across floor=Location |
| 3 | **rupture** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **announce** *speech: other* | present | water *not said here* | a slight problem |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent problem=Theme |

<!-- .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:* Identify the appropriate response.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:e2:2
# text = Identify the appropriate response.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	appropriate	appropriate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	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 appropriate response |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent response=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To attend promptly and assist, the problem being considerable

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:e2:o1:1
# text = To attend promptly and assist, the problem being considerable
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	attend	attend	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	promptly	promptly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
5	assist	assist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
9	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	cop	_	_
10	considerable	considerable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **attend** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | promptly *property* | vn caring-75.2-1-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | gerund | assist and the problem |  |  |  |  | considerable *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To disregard the announcement, the problem being slight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:e2:o2:1
# text = To disregard the announcement, the problem being slight
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	disregard	disregard	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	csubj	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	announcement	announcement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
8	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	cop	_	_
9	slight	slight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **disregard** | to-infinitive |  | the announcement and the problem |  |  |  |  | vn neglect-75.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent announcement=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | slight *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To await the drying of the floor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:e2:o3:1
# text = To await the drying of the floor
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	await	await	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	drying	drying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **await** | to-infinitive |  | the drying of the floor |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To complete one's present occupation before attending

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:e2:o4:1
# text = To complete one's present occupation before attending
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	complete	complete	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	one	one	PRON	PRP	Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	present	present	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	occupation	occupation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	attending	attend	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **complete** | to-infinitive |  | one |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **attend** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn caring-75.2-1-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |

<!-- 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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