---
title: ★★ «Amir's book says a whale's heart weighs as much as two or three… — Sarcasm, hyperbole and understatement… · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★ «Amir's book says a whale's heart weighs as much as two or three men, that's hyperbole innit» What is right? Test 7 · ★★ of lesson 52 «Sarcasm, hyperbole and understatement side by side» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and o
---

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# Test 7 · ★★ · Sarcasm, hyperbole and understatement side by side

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★ «Amir's book says a whale's heart weighs as much as two or three men, that's hyperbole innit» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** ★, heart, that, hyperbole innit · **What happens:** say, weigh, be · **To what, where:** much, hyperbole innit · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★ of lesson 52 «Sarcasm, hyperbole and understatement side by side» 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/52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side/#t7).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side:t7:1
# text = ★★ «Amir's book says a whale's heart weighs as much as two or three men, that's hyperbole innit» What is right?
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	1	dep	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	Amir	Amir	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	whale	whale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	weighs	weigh	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	_
13	as	as	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	obj	_	_
15	as	as	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
16	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	19	nummod	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	conj	_	_
19	men	man	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	24	punct	_	_
21	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	24	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	24	cop	_	_
23	hyperbole	hyperbole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	24	amod	_	_
24	innit	innit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	24	punct	_	_
26	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	28	nsubj	_	_
27	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	28	cop	_	_
28	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	24	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | ★ |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **weigh** *in a quote* | present | a whale's heart | much |  |  |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme much=Value |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | that | hyperbole innit |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **is** | present | hyperbole innit |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it's understatement: the real heart is much bigger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side:t7:o1:1
# text = No, it's understatement: the real heart is much bigger
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	understatement	understatement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	much	much	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | it | understatement |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the real heart |  |  |  |  | big *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, it's a real measured fact in a science book

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side:t7:o2:1
# text = No, it's a real measured fact in a science book
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	measured	measure	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	fact	fact	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	science	science	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **measure** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | present | it | a real measured fact |  | a science book |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, no heart can weigh more than a kilo

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side:t7:o3:1
# text = Yes, no heart can weigh more than a kilo
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	weigh	weigh	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	obj	_	_
8	than	than	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	kilo	kilo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **weigh** | can | no heart | more |  |  |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme more=Value |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, books exaggerate to sell, like adverts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side:t7:o4:1
# text = Yes, books exaggerate to sell, like adverts
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	books	book	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	exaggerate	exaggerate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	sell	sell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	adverts	advert	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exaggerate** | present | books |  |  |  |  | like adverts | tree rules |
| 2 | **sell** | to-infinitive | books *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V PP.recipient»: agent=Agent |

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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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- ↑ back to [Sarcasm, hyperbole and understatement side by side](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/52-sarcasm-hyperbole-and-understatement-side-by-side/)