---
title: In a cartoon, a boy breaks a promise, says "sorry!" once, and his fr… — Letting a friend down: broken promises… · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon, a boy breaks a promise, says "sorry!" once, and his friend instantly trusts him completely again. What's unrealistic? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 4 «Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and prag
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon, a boy breaks a promise, says "sorry!" once, and his friend instantly trusts him completely again. What's unrealistic?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** boy, friend · **What happens:** break, say, trust, be · **To what, where:** promise, cartoon, boy · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 4 «Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets» 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/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon, a boy breaks a promise, says "sorry!" once, and his friend instantly trusts him completely again.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t3:1
# text = In a cartoon, a boy breaks a promise, says "sorry!" once, and his friend instantly trusts him completely again.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	breaks	break	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	sorry	sorry	INTJ	UH	_	11	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
16	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	13	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
19	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	20	nmod:poss	_	_
20	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	nsubj	_	_
21	instantly	instantly	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
22	trusts	trust	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
23	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	obj	_	_
24	completely	completely	ADV	RB	_	25	advmod	_	_
25	again	again	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** | present | a boy | a promise |  | a cartoon |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer promise=Patient |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a boy *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **trust** | present | boy's friend | boy |  |  | again | instantly *property* | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |

<!-- .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's unrealistic?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t3:2
# text = What's unrealistic?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	unrealistic	unrealistic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | unrealistic *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Trust usually grows back slowly, with changed actions over time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t3:o1:1
# text = Trust usually grows back slowly, with changed actions over time
1	Trust	trust	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	usually	usually	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	grows	grow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	back	back	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	changed	change	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	actions	action	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
10	over	over	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | present | Trust |  |  |  | time | with changed actions; slowly, usually *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **change** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In real life you don't need to say sorry at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t3:o2:1
# text = In real life you don't need to say sorry at all
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
4	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
5	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	need	need	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
10	sorry	sorry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	xcomp	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **need** | present · do-support | you |  |  | real life |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **say** *speech: apologize* *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | sorry *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Real friends never forgive anything at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t3:o3:1
# text = Real friends never forgive anything at all
1	Real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	forgive	forgive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **forgive** | present | Real friends | anything |  | all |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing; one "sorry" always brings trust straight back

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t3:o4:1
# text = Nothing; one "sorry" always brings trust straight back
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
3	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	5	nsubj	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	sorry	sorry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	8	advmod	_	_
8	brings	bring	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	trust	trust	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
10	straight	straight	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	back	back	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bring** | present | Nothing | trust |  |  |  | always *property* | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent trust=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.

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- next →: [Letting a friend down: broken promises…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/t4/)
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