---
title: ★★ A cartoon shows a man reading «she's no stranger to trouble» and… — Not unhappy and not half: litotes · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★ A cartoon shows a man reading «she's no stranger to trouble» and thinking the girl has never met trouble. What is the right meaning? Test 8 · ★★ of lesson 50 «Not unhappy and not half: litotes» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the questio
---

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# Test 8 · ★★ · Not unhappy and not half: litotes

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★ A cartoon shows a man reading «she's no stranger to trouble» and thinking the girl has never met trouble. What is the right meaning?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** ★, cartoon, man, girl, right meaning · **What happens:** ★, show, read, be, think, not meet · **To what, where:** stranger, trouble · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★★ of lesson 50 «Not unhappy and not half: litotes» 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/50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★★ A cartoon shows a man reading «she's no stranger to trouble» and thinking the girl has never met trouble.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes:t8:1
# text = ★★ A cartoon shows a man reading «she's no stranger to trouble» and thinking the girl has never met trouble.
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	shows	show	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nsubj	_	_
8	reading	read	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	acl	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
12	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	13	det	_	_
13	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	thinking	think	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	conj	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	_
21	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	23	aux	_	_
22	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	23	advmod	_	_
23	met	meet	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	ccomp	_	_
24	trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **★** | present | ★ |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **show** | present | a cartoon |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **read** | gerund | a man *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | cartoon | no stranger |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **think** *speech: other* | gerund | the girl |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 6 | **not** **meet** | present · perfect | a man | trouble |  |  |  |  | vn meet-36.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent trouble=Co-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 right meaning?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes:t8:2
# text = What is the right meaning?
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	5	det	_	_
4	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She knows trouble very well, because she's often in it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes:t8:o1:1
# text = She knows trouble very well, because she's often in it
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	very	very	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
10	often	often	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **know** | present | She | trouble |  |  |  | well *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer trouble=Stimulus |
| 2 | **be** | present | she |  |  | trouble |  | often *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in it=Location |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She is new in town and doesn't know anyone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes:t8:o2:1
# text = She is new in town and doesn't know anyone
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
10	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | She |  |  | town |  | new *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **know** | present · do-support | She *not said here* | anyone |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer anyone=Stimulus |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She has never once been in any trouble at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes:t8:o3:1
# text = She has never once been in any trouble at all
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
4	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	8	advmod	_	_
5	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	8	cop	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	det	_	_
8	trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | She |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **is** | participle |  |  |  | any trouble |  | at all; once *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Trouble is the name of her best friend

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:50-not-unhappy-and-not-half-litotes:t8:o4:1
# text = Trouble is the name of her best friend
1	Trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	8	amod	_	_
8	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

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

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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