---
title: Lucas's American cousin says, "It's a total bummer not knowin', dude… — When home feels shaky: rows, hospitals… · tree and pragmatics
description: Lucas's American cousin says, "It's a total bummer not knowin', dude." ("Bummer" means a disappointing thing.) What helps most when things are uncertain? Test 7 of lesson 14 «When home feels shaky: rows, hospitals, new babies and big changes» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with t
---

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# Test 7 · When home feels shaky: rows, hospitals, new babies and big…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lucas's American cousin says, "It's a total bummer not knowin', dude." ("Bummer" means a disappointing thing.) What helps most when things are uncertain?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** American cousin, cousin, Bummer, things · **What happens:** say, be, mean, help · **To what, where:** total bummer, disappointing thing · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 of lesson 14 «When home feels shaky: rows, hospitals, new babies and big changes» of the reflection 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/reflection/14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Lucas's American cousin says, "It's a total bummer not knowin', dude."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:1
# text = Lucas's American cousin says, "It's a total bummer not knowin', dude."
1	Lucas	Lucas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	American	American	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	total	total	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	bummer	bummer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	ccomp	_	_
13	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
14	knowin	knowin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	',	',	PART	POS	_	14	dep	_	_
16	dude	dude	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Lucas's American cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | cousin | a total bummer |  |  |  | knowin dude *nmod* | 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:* ("Bummer" means a disappointing thing.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:2
# text = ("Bummer" means a disappointing thing.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Bummer	bummer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	disappointing	disappointing	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Bummer | a disappointing thing |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thing=Topic |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What helps most when things are uncertain?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:3
# text = What helps most when things are uncertain?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	2	nsubj	_	_
2	helps	help	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	2	advmod	_	_
4	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	7	mark	_	_
5	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	uncertain	uncertain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | things |  |  |  |  | uncertain *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Talking it over as a family and knowing the plan

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:o1:1
# text = Talking it over as a family and knowing the plan
1	Talking	talk	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	over	over	ADP	RP	_	1	compound:prt	_	_
4	as	as	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	knowing	know	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	conj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	plan	plan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **talk over** | gerund |  | it |  |  |  | as a family | vn compel-59.1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent it=Patient |
| 2 | **know** | gerund |  | the plan |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer plan=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pretending to everyone that nothing is changing at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:o2:1
# text = Pretending to everyone that nothing is changing at all
1	Pretending	pretend	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	1	obl	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	changing	change	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	advcl	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pretend** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | to everyone | tree rules |
| 2 | **change** | present · progressive | nothing |  |  | all |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Imagining every bad thing that could possibly happen

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:o3:1
# text = Imagining every bad thing that could possibly happen
1	Imagining	imagine	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
3	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
6	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	possibly	possibly	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **imagine** | gerund |  | every bad thing |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot thing=Theme |
| 2 | **happen** | could | every bad thing |  |  |  |  | possibly *property* | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Refusing to eat anything until his parents decide

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:14-when-home-feels-shaky-rows-hospitals-new-babies-and-big-changes:t7:o4:1
# text = Refusing to eat anything until his parents decide
1	Refusing	refuse	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	csubj	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	xcomp	_	_
4	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obj	_	_
5	until	until	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
8	decide	decide	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **refuse** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **eat** | to-infinitive |  | anything |  |  | until his parents |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Patient |
| 3 | **decide** | present | Refusing |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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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