---
title: A friend from Singapore says: «China and Taiwan, both called China,… — Taiwan, China and the word «tensions» · tree and pragmatics
description: A friend from Singapore says: «China and Taiwan, both called China, so confusing lah — can explain or not?» What explains it? Test 10 · ★★ of lesson 29 «Taiwan, China and the word «tensions»» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and
---

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# Test 10 · ★★ · Taiwan, China and the word «tensions»

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A friend from Singapore says: «China and Taiwan, both called China, so confusing lah — can explain or not?» What explains it?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** friend, China · **What happens:** say, call, explain · **To what, where:** both, lah · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 10 · ★★ of lesson 29 «Taiwan, China and the word «tensions»» 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/29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions/#t10).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A friend from Singapore says: «China and Taiwan, both called China, so confusing lah — can explain or not?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions:t10:1
# text = A friend from Singapore says: «China and Taiwan, both called China, so confusing lah — can explain or not?»
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Singapore	Singapore	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
7	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	China	China	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	ccomp	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	Taiwan	Taiwan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
13	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl:relcl	_	_
14	China	China	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	so	so	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
17	confusing	confusing	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	lah	lah	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
19	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	21	punct	_	_
20	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	21	aux	_	_
21	explain	explain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
22	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
23	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	21	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	21	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: ask* | present | a friend from Singapore |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **call** *in a quote* | participle · passive | China and Taiwan and confusing lah *not said here* | both |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |
| 3 | **explain** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | can |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V»: 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What explains it?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions:t10:2
# text = What explains it?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	2	nsubj	_	_
2	explains	explain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | present |  | lah |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After the 1949 civil war the losing side moved to Taiwan and kept the old name

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions:t10:o1:1
# text = After the 1949 civil war the losing side moved to Taiwan and kept the old name
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
3	1949	1949	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	compound	_	_
4	civil	civil	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	losing	lose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	amod	_	_
8	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	moved	move	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Taiwan	Taiwan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **move** | past | the losing side |  | Taiwan |  | after the 1949 civil war |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme to taiwan=Result |
| 3 | **keep** | past | the losing side *not said here* | the old name |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent name=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A map maker swapped the names

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions:t10:o2:1
# text = A map maker swapped the names
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	map	map	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	maker	maker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	swapped	swap	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swap** | past | a map maker | the names |  |  |  |  | vn exchange-13.6.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent name=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are the same island

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions:t10:o3:1
# text = They are the same island
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	island	island	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | the same island |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Taiwan named itself after a restaurant in Beijing that its first president liked to eat at every week

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:29-taiwan-china-and-the-word-tensions:t10:o4:1
# text = Taiwan named itself after a restaurant in Beijing that its first president liked to eat at every week
1	Taiwan	Taiwan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	named	name	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	itself	itself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obj	_	_
4	after	after	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	restaurant	restaurant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	Beijing	Beijing	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
9	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
11	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	12	amod	_	_
12	president	president	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	liked	like	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	xcomp	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	18	det	_	_
18	week	week	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **name** | past | Taiwan | itself *= it* |  |  | after a restaurant in Beijing |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent itself=Theme |
| 2 | **like** | participle | restaurant's first president |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **eat** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | restaurant's first president *not said here* |  |  |  | week |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- 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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