---
title: "Back in my day we just wrote to our MP, now kids think a TikTok's p… — Protests, petitions and young activists · tree and pragmatics
description: "Back in my day we just wrote to our MP, now kids think a TikTok's protest" — Ruby wrote a polite letter and got a reply. What does that show? Test 1 · ★ of lesson 38 «Protests, petitions and young activists» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of
---

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# Test 1 · ★ · Protests, petitions and young activists

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Back in my day we just wrote to our MP, now kids think a TikTok's protest" — Ruby wrote a polite letter and got a reply. What does that show?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** we, kids, Ruby, TikTok, that · **What happens:** write, think, get, protest, show · **To what, where:** MP, protest, polite letter, reply

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★ of lesson 38 «Protests, petitions and young activists» 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/38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* "Back in my day we just wrote to our MP, now kids think a TikTok's protest" — Ruby wrote a polite letter and got a reply.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t1:1
# text = "Back in my day we just wrote to our MP, now kids think a TikTok's protest" — Ruby wrote a polite letter and got a reply.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Back	back	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
6	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
7	just	just	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	wrote	write	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	MP	mp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	15	advmod	_	_
14	kids	kid	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	parataxis	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	TikTok	TikTok	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	19	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	's	's	PART	POS	_	17	case	_	_
19	protest	protest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
21	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	23	punct	_	_
22	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	23	nsubj	_	_
23	wrote	write	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
24	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
25	polite	polite	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	26	amod	_	_
26	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obj	_	_
27	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	28	cc	_	_
28	got	get	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	23	conj	_	_
29	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
30	reply	reply	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** *in a quote* | past | we |  | our MP |  | day |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to mp=Recipient |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* *in a quote* | present | kids | a TikTok's protest |  |  | now |  | vn wish-62 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot protest=Theme |
| 3 | **write** | past | Ruby | a polite letter |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Theme |
| 4 | **get** | past | Ruby *not said here* | a reply |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer reply=Stimulus |
| 5 | **protest** *in a quote* |  | a TikTok |  |  |  |  |  | nom protest «communication transitive»: poss=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 does that show?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t1:2
# text = What does that show?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
4	show	show	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 | **show** | present · do-support | that |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent what=Recipient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Letters to MPs are against the rules unless a grown-up signs them and posts them for you

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t1:o1:1
# text = Letters to MPs are against the rules unless a grown-up signs them and posts them for you
1	Letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
2	to	to	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	MPs	mp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	against	against	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
8	unless	unless	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
10	grown	grown	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	up	up	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	signs	sign	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
14	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	posts	post	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	conj	_	_
17	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obj	_	_
18	for	for	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Letters to MPs |  |  |  |  | against the rules | tree rules |
| 2 | **sign** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | a grown up | Letters *= letter* |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent they=Destination |
| 3 | **post** | present | a grown up *not said here* | Letters *= letter* |  |  |  | for you | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only grandparents can write to MPs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t1:o2:1
# text = Only grandparents can write to MPs
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	grandparents	grandparent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	write	write	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	MPs	mp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | can | grandparents |  | MPs |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to mp=Recipient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
MPs only answer TikToks now

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t1:o3:1
# text = MPs only answer TikToks now
1	MPs	mp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	answer	answer	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	TikToks	tiktok	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
5	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **answer** *speech: assert* | present | MPs | TikToks |  |  | now |  | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent tiktok=Eventuality |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Writing to your MP is still a real way to be heard

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t1:o4:1
# text = Writing to your MP is still a real way to be heard
1	Writing	write	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
2	to	to	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	MP	mp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
6	still	still	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
11	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	heard	hear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | gerund |  |  | your MP |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to mp=Recipient |
| 2 | **is a** | present | Writing | a real way |  |  | still |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **hear** | to-infinitive · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V PP.stimulus» |

<!-- 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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