---
title: Uncle Ray from Alabama: "I'm fixin' to switch this off, he's wreckin… — US elections and the president, as rep… · tree and pragmatics
description: Uncle Ray from Alabama: "I'm fixin' to switch this off, he's wreckin' the country!" (fixin' to = about to). What could you ask him? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 16 «US elections and the president, as reported» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the qu
---

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# Test 7 · ★ · US elections and the president, as reported

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Uncle Ray from Alabama: "I'm fixin' to switch this off, he's wreckin' the country!" (fixin' to = about to). What could you ask him?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Uncle Ray, Ray, you · **What happens:** fixin, switch off, be, ask · **To what, where:** country, this, wreckin, Ray

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 16 «US elections and the president, as reported» of the politics 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/politics/16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Uncle Ray from Alabama: "I'm fixin' to switch this off, he's wreckin' the country!"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:1
# text = Uncle Ray from Alabama: "I'm fixin' to switch this off, he's wreckin' the country!"
1	Uncle	Uncle	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	Ray	Ray	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Alabama	Alabama	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	fixin	fixin	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	switch	switch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
13	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	12	obj	_	_
14	off	off	ADP	RP	_	12	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
18	wreckin	wreckin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	country	country	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fixin** *in a quote* | present · progressive | Uncle Ray from Alabama | the country |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **switch off** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | Uncle Ray from Alabama *not said here* | this |  |  |  |  | vn convert-26.6.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent this=Patient |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | Ray | wreckin |  |  |  |  | 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:* (fixin' to = about to).

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:2
# text = (fixin' to = about to).
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	fixin	fixin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
5	=	=	SYM	SYM	_	6	punct	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	2	acl:relcl	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	fixed	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What could you ask him?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:3
# text = What could you ask him?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	ask	ask	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | could | you |  | Ray |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which decision do you mean?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:o1:1
# text = Which decision do you mean?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	decision	decision	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
3	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present · do-support | you | which decision |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent decision=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Who is your favourite news reader?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:o2:1
# text = Who is your favourite news reader?
1	Who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
4	favourite	favourite	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	reader	reader	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why is the TV so loud tonight?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:o3:1
# text = Why is the TV so loud tonight?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	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	4	det	_	_
4	TV	TV	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	loud	loud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	advcl	_	_
7	tonight	tonight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What colour is your cap today?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:16-us-elections-and-the-president-as-reported:t7:o4:1
# text = What colour is your cap today?
1	What	what	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	cap	cap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | what colour | your cap |  |  | today |  | 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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