---
title: "Victoria never smiled once, my nan said" How could you check? — Kings, queens and emperors · tree and pragmatics
description: "Victoria never smiled once, my nan said" How could you check? Test 9 of lesson 19 «Kings, queens and emperors» of the myths course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 9 · Kings, queens and emperors

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Victoria never smiled once, my nan said" How could you check?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Victoria, nan, you · **What happens:** not smile, say, check · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 19 «Kings, queens and emperors» of the myths 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/myths/19-kings-queens-and-emperors/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t9:1
# text = "Victoria never smiled once, my nan said" How could you check?
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Victoria	Victoria	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	smiled	smile	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	nan	nan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	_
11	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
12	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
13	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	check	check	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **smile** *in a quote* | past | Victoria |  |  |  |  | once *property* | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | my nan |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **check** | could | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ask which colour dress she wore most often in photographs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t9:o1:1
# text = Ask which colour dress she wore most often in photographs
1	Ask	ask	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
3	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	dress	dress	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	wore	wear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	8	advmod	_	_
8	often	often	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	photographs	photograph	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  | photographs |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **dress** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **wear** | past | she | colour dress *not said here* |  |  |  | often *property* | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent dress=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Read her diaries and letters, which show her laughing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t9:o2:1
# text = Read her diaries and letters, which show her laughing
1	Read	read	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	diaries	diary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
8	show	show	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
9	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	iobj	_	_
10	laughing	laugh	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | imperative | you *not said here* | her diaries and letters |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **show** | present | her diaries and letters |  | her *= she* |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent she=Recipient |
| 3 | **laugh** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It cannot be checked at all, so just believe what your nan says

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t9:o3:1
# text = It cannot be checked at all, so just believe what your nan says
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	checked	check	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	just	just	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	believe	believe	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
12	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	15	obj	_	_
13	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	nan	nan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
15	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **check** | can · passive |  | It |  | all |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **believe** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | your nan |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Count how many smiles there are in her painted portraits

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t9:o4:1
# text = Count how many smiles there are in her painted portraits
1	Count	count	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	advmod	_	_
3	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	smiles	smile	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
5	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	6	expl	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
9	painted	paint	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	portraits	portrait	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **count** | imperative | you *not said here* | many smiles |  | her painted portraits |  |  | vn multiply-108 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent smile=Theme |
| 2 | **paint** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **portray** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom portrait «communication transitive»: poss=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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