---
title: Tom's mum, from Texas, says, "Your daddy's just fixin' to figure out… — Reading people in hard times: what's r… · tree and pragmatics
description: Tom's mum, from Texas, says, "Your daddy's just fixin' to figure out work, darlin'." ("Fixin' to" means about to, trying to.) What does Tom learn? Test 6 · ★★ of lesson 28 «Reading people in hard times: what's really behind the mean face» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the d
---

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# Test 6 · ★★ · Reading people in hard times: what's really behind the mea…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tom's mum, from Texas, says, "Your daddy's just fixin' to figure out work, darlin'." ("Fixin' to" means about to, trying to.) What does Tom learn?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mum, Fixin, Tom · **What happens:** say, figure out, mean, try, learn · **To what, where:** work · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★ of lesson 28 «Reading people in hard times: what's really behind the mean face» 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Tom's mum, from Texas, says, "Your daddy's just fixin' to figure out work, darlin'."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:1
# text = Tom's mum, from Texas, says, "Your daddy's just fixin' to figure out work, darlin'."
1	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	mum	mum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Texas	Texas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
8	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	daddy	daddy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	just	just	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	fixin	fixin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	figure	figure	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	acl	_	_
19	out	out	ADP	RP	_	18	compound:prt	_	_
20	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
22	darlin	darlin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Tom's mum and Texas |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **figure out** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | Tom's mum and Texas *not said here* | work |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent work=Topic |

<!-- .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:* ("Fixin' to" means about to, trying to.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:2
# text = ("Fixin' to" means about to, trying to.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Fixin	Fixin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
7	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	about	about	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	fixed	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	conj	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Fixin |  |  |  |  | about *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **try** | gerund | Fixin *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What does Tom learn?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:3
# text = What does Tom learn?
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	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	learn	learn	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 | **learn** | present · do-support | Tom |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tom should fix Dad's work for him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:o1:1
# text = Tom should fix Dad's work for him
1	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	fix	fix	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	Dad	Dad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fix** | should | Tom | Dad's work |  |  |  | for Dad | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent work=Product for he=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **work** |  | Dad |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Quiet people are always secretly angry inside about something

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:o2:1
# text = Quiet people are always secretly angry inside about something
1	Quiet	quiet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	6	advmod	_	_
5	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	angry	angry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	inside	inside	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Quiet people |  |  |  |  | about something; always, angry, inside, secretly *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad's quiet was about worry, not anger at Tom

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:o3:1
# text = Dad's quiet was about worry, not anger at Tom
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	quiet	quiet	NOUN	NN	_	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	about	about	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	worry	worry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	anger	anger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | Dad's quiet |  |  |  |  | about worry and anger at Tom | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad was angry with Tom after all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face:t6:o4:1
# text = Dad was angry with Tom after all
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	angry	angry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	after	after	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | Dad |  |  |  | after all | with Tom; angry *property* | tree rules |

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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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- ↑ back to [Reading people in hard times: what's really behind the mean face](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/)