---
title: Your big brother says, "Feed a cold, starve a fever, it's like a rul… — Colds, coughs and the weather · tree and pragmatics
description: Your big brother says, "Feed a cold, starve a fever, it's like a rule of medicine." What do you say? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 4 «Colds, coughs and the weather» 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 wron
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Colds, coughs and the weather

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your big brother says, "Feed a cold, starve a fever, it's like a rule of medicine." What do you say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** big brother, fever, you · **What happens:** say, feed, starve, be · **To what, where:** cold, fever · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 4 «Colds, coughs and the weather» 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/4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your big brother says, "Feed a cold, starve a fever, it's like a rule of medicine."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather:t9:1
# text = Your big brother says, "Feed a cold, starve a fever, it's like a rule of medicine."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Feed	feed	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	cold	cold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	starve	starve	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	fever	fever	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
17	like	like	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
20	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	medicine	medicine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your big brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **feed** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | a cold |  |  |  |  | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cold=Recipient |
| 3 | **starve** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | a fever |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **is** *in a quote* | present | fever |  |  |  |  | like a rule; of medicine | 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What do you say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather:t9:2
# text = What do you say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present · do-support | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's an old saying; with both you should drink and eat when hungry

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather:t9:o1:1
# text = It's an old saying; with both you should drink and eat when hungry
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	saying	saying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	obl	_	_
9	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	drink	drink	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	parataxis	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	conj	_	_
14	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	15	mark	_	_
15	hungry	hungry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a old saying |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **drink** | should | you |  |  |  |  | with both | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **eat** | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It only works for grown-ups

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather:t9:o2:1
# text = It only works for grown-ups
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	grown	grow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	ups	up	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **work** | present | It |  |  |  |  | for grown ups | vn employment-95.3 «NP V PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for up=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **grow** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, and doctors still teach it to this day exactly as he says

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather:t9:o3:1
# text = He's right, and doctors still teach it to this day exactly as he says
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	doctors	doctor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	still	still	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	teach	teach	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	12	det	_	_
12	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
13	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
14	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
15	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **teach** *speech: other* | present | doctors |  | it |  | still; day |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent it=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | he |  |  |  |  | exactly *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's the other way round: starve a cold

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather:t9:o4:1
# text = It's the other way round: starve a cold
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	round	round	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
8	starve	starve	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	cold	cold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | the other way |  |  |  | round *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **starve** | infinitive |  | a cold |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**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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