---
title: Someone snaps: «shut up about talks, they just smile for the cameras… — Why wars happen and why they are hard… · tree and pragmatics
description: Someone snaps: «shut up about talks, they just smile for the cameras and do nothing.» What is fair? Test 7 of lesson 23 «Why wars happen and why they are hard to stop; the UN and NATO» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of eac
---

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# Test 7 · Why wars happen and why they are hard to stop; the UN and…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Someone snaps: «shut up about talks, they just smile for the cameras and do nothing.» What is fair?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Someone, talks · **What happens:** snap, shut up, smile, do, be · **To what, where:** nothing · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 of lesson 23 «Why wars happen and why they are hard to stop; the UN and NATO» 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/23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Someone snaps: «shut up about talks, they just smile for the cameras and do nothing.»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato:t7:1
# text = Someone snaps: «shut up about talks, they just smile for the cameras and do nothing.»
1	Someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	nsubj	_	_
2	snaps	snap	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	shut	shut	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
6	up	up	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
7	about	about	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	talks	talk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	just	just	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	smile	smile	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	cameras	camera	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	conj	_	_
18	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **snap** | present | Someone |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **shut up** *in a quote* | infinitive | Someone *not said here* |  |  |  |  | about talks | vn subjugate-42.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **smile** *in a quote* | present | talks *= talk* |  |  |  |  | for the cameras | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient S\_INF»: agent=Agent for camera=Recipient |
| 4 | **do** *in a quote* | present | talks *= talk* *not said here* | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Eventuality |

<!-- .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 is fair?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato:t7:2
# text = What is fair?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Talks have never ended any war in history, so they are pointless

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato:t7:o1:1
# text = Talks have never ended any war in history, so they are pointless
1	Talks	talk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	ended	end	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
6	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	pointless	pointless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **end** | present · perfect · passive |  | Talks |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | Talks *= talk* |  |  |  |  | pointless *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Talks are slow and often fail, but they are how wars are usually ended

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato:t7:o2:1
# text = Talks are slow and often fail, but they are how wars are usually ended
1	Talks	talk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	slow	slow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	often	often	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	fail	fail	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
8	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
9	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
10	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
11	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	15	advmod	_	_
12	wars	war	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
13	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
14	usually	usually	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	ended	ended	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Talks |  |  |  |  | slow *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **fail** | present | Talks *not said here* |  |  |  |  | often *property* | vn succeed-74-3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | Talks *= talk* |  |  |  |  | ended, usually *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Leaders only ever smile when they have won

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato:t7:o3:1
# text = Leaders only ever smile when they have won
1	Leaders	leader	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	4	advmod	_	_
4	smile	smile	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	8	mark	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
7	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	won	win	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **smile** | infinitive | Leaders |  |  |  | ever |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **win** | present · perfect | Leaders *= leader* |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Talks always fix a war in one day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato:t7:o4:1
# text = Talks always fix a war in one day
1	Talks	talk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	3	advmod	_	_
3	fix	fix	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fix** | present | Talks | a war |  |  | day | always *property* | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent war=Patient |

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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 [Why wars happen and why they are hard to stop; the UN and NATO](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/politics/23-why-wars-happen-the-un-and-nato/)