---
title: ★ A cartoon teacher smiles calmly as foam covers the whole lab, sayi… — A bit nippy and not ideal: British und… · tree and pragmatics
description: ★ A cartoon teacher smiles calmly as foam covers the whole lab, saying «slightly less well than planned». What is the joke? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 49 «A bit nippy and not ideal: British understatement» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the ques
---

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# Test 7 · ★ · A bit nippy and not ideal: British understatement

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★ A cartoon teacher smiles calmly as foam covers the whole lab, saying «slightly less well than planned». What is the joke?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, cartoon teacher, foam, joke · **What happens:** ★, smile, cover, say, plan, be · **To what, where:** whole lab · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 49 «A bit nippy and not ideal: British understatement» 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/49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★ A cartoon teacher smiles calmly as foam covers the whole lab, saying «slightly less well than planned».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:t7:1
# text = ★ A cartoon teacher smiles calmly as foam covers the whole lab, saying «slightly less well than planned».
1	★	★	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	smiles	smile	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
6	calmly	calmly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	foam	foam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	covers	cover	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	lab	lab	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	saying	say	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
15	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	slightly	slightly	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
17	less	less	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	18	advmod	_	_
18	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	14	ccomp	_	_
19	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	20	mark	_	_
20	planned	plan	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	18	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **★** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **smile** | present | a cartoon teacher |  |  |  |  | calmly *property* | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **cover** | present | foam | the whole lab |  |  |  |  | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme lab=Destination |
| 4 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund | foam *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **plan** *in a quote* | participle | foam *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 is the joke?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:t7:2
# text = What is the joke?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He really thinks the experiment worked well

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:t7:o1:1
# text = He really thinks the experiment worked well
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	thinks	think	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	experiment	experiment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	worked	work	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	6	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | present | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **work** | past | the experiment |  |  |  |  | well *property* | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Teachers are not allowed to be angry in front of a class

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:t7:o2:1
# text = Teachers are not allowed to be angry in front of a class
1	Teachers	teacher	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	cop	_	_
7	angry	angry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	front	front	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	class	class	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **allow** | present · passive |  | Teachers |  | front of a class |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **is** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | Teachers *not said here* |  |  |  |  | angry *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His calm small words don't match the big mess

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:t7:o3:1
# text = His calm small words don't match the big mess
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
2	calm	calm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
5	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	match	match	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	mess	mess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **match** | present · do-support | His calm small words | the big mess |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mess=Patient |
| 2 | **word** |  | His *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He doesn't know what foam looks like

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:49-a-bit-nippy-and-not-ideal-british-understatement:t7:o4:1
# text = He doesn't know what foam looks like
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	what	what	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	6	det	_	_
6	foam	foam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	looks	look	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **know** | present · do-support | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **look** | present | what foam |  |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: 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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