---
title: Given the notice "Dogs must be carried on the escalator", ascertain… — Kinds of sentences: statements, questi… · tree and pragmatics
description: Given the notice "Dogs must be carried on the escalator", ascertain the interpretation most consistent with common sense. Exam question 4 of lesson 7 «Kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, exclamations» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and prag
---

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# Exam question 4 · Kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, excla…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Given the notice "Dogs must be carried on the escalator", ascertain the interpretation most consistent with common sense.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** notice · **What happens:** give, carry, ascertain · **To what, where:** Dogs, escalator, interpretation

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 7 «Kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, exclamations» 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/7-kinds-of-sentences/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e4:1
# text = Given the notice "Dogs must be carried on the escalator", ascertain the interpretation most consistent with common sense.
1	Given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	notice	notice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	Dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	carried	carry	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	escalator	escalator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	interpretation	interpretation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	18	advmod	_	_
18	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
19	with	with	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	amod	_	_
21	sense	sense	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **carry** *in a quote* | must · passive | the notice *not said here* | Dogs |  | the escalator |  |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 3 | **ascertain** | infinitive |  | the interpretation |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent interpretation=Topic |

<!-- .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 -->
The escalator is reserved exclusively for dogs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e4:o1:1
# text = The escalator is reserved exclusively for dogs
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	escalator	escalator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	reserved	reserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reserve** | present · passive |  | the escalator |  |  |  | for dogs; exclusively *property* | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: subject=Theme for dog=Beneficiary |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Every person is required to carry a dog upon the escalator

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e4:o2:1
# text = Every person is required to carry a dog upon the escalator
1	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	carry	carry	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	escalator	escalator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | present · passive |  | every person |  |  |  |  | vn order-58.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **carry** | to-infinitive |  | a dog |  |  |  | upon the escalator | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dog=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dogs are required to carry their owners

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e4:o3:1
# text = Dogs are required to carry their owners
1	Dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	carry	carry	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	owners	owner	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | present · passive |  | Dogs |  |  |  |  | vn order-58.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **carry** | to-infinitive |  | Dogs's owners |  |  |  |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent owner=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Persons accompanied by a dog are required to carry it upon the escalator

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e4:o4:1
# text = Persons accompanied by a dog are required to carry it upon the escalator
1	Persons	person	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	accompanied	accompany	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	acl	_	_
3	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl:agent	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	carry	carry	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	escalator	escalator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accompany** | participle |  | Persons *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **require** | present · passive |  | Persons |  |  |  |  | vn order-58.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **carry** | to-infinitive |  | dog |  |  |  | upon the escalator | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

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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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