---
title: "they're just kids, adults tell 'em what to say, end of" — what is a… — Protests, petitions and young activists · tree and pragmatics
description: "they're just kids, adults tell 'em what to say, end of" — what is a fairer view? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 38 «Protests, petitions and young activists» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Protests, petitions and young activists

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"they're just kids, adults tell 'em what to say, end of" — what is a fairer view?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** they, kids · **What happens:** be, tell, say · **To what, where:** kids, 'em, end, fairer view · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t9:1
# text = "they're just kids, adults tell 'em what to say, end of" — what is a fairer view?
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	just	just	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	kids	kid	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	adults	adult	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
8	tell	tell	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	'em	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	iobj	_	_
10	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	12	obj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
17	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	15	punct	_	_
18	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	14	nmod	_	_
19	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	22	cop	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	fairer	fair	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	22	amod	_	_
22	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | they | kids and adults |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | kids and adults |  | 'em *= they* |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent they=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive |  | end |  |  |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP NP»: agent=Agent what=Theme end=Manner |
| 4 | **is a** | present |  | a fairer view |  |  |  |  | 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Adults never influence anyone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t9:o1:1
# text = Adults never influence anyone
1	Adults	adult	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	influence	influence	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **influence** | present | Adults | anyone |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anyone=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Kids are banned from having views

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t9:o2:1
# text = Kids are banned from having views
1	Kids	kid	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	banned	ban	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	having	have	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	views	view	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ban** | present · passive |  | Kids |  | having views |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: subject=Beneficiary from view=Eventuality |
| 2 | **have** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Young people learn from adults and also think for themselves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t9:o3:1
# text = Young people learn from adults and also think for themselves
1	Young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	learn	learn	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	adults	adult	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	also	also	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **learn** | present | Young people |  |  |  |  | from adults | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V PP.source»: agent=Agent from adult=Source |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | infinitive | Young people *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for people | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Children never think for themselves, so everything a young activist says was written by a grown-up

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:38-protests-petitions-and-young-activists:t9:o4:1
# text = Children never think for themselves, so everything a young activist says was written by a grown-up
1	Children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
7	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
8	everything	everything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	activist	activist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
13	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
17	grown	grow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	19	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	up	up	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **think** *speech: other* | present | Children |  |  |  |  | for Children *= child* | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a young activist |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **write** | past · passive | a grown up | everything |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 4 | **grow** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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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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