---
title: Kofi's neighbour said, "I thought I could count on you." What does "… — Letting a friend down: broken promises… · tree and pragmatics
description: Kofi's neighbour said, "I thought I could count on you." What does "reliable" mean? Test 8 · ★ 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 pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova'
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Kofi's neighbour said, "I thought I could count on you." What does "reliable" mean?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** neighbour · **What happens:** say, think, count, mean · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ 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/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Kofi's neighbour said, "I thought I could count on you."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t8:1
# text = Kofi's neighbour said, "I thought I could count on you."
1	Kofi	Kofi	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	neighbour	neighbour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
9	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	count	count	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	ccomp	_	_
12	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Kofi's neighbour |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* *in a quote* | past | Kofi's neighbour *= neighbour* |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **count** *in a quote* | could | Kofi's neighbour *= neighbour* |  |  |  |  | on you | vn rely-70 «NP V PP.theme S\_ING»: agent=Agent on you=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 does "reliable" mean?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t8:2
# text = What does "reliable" mean?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	reliable	reliable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	csubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Someone you can trust to do what they promised

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t8:o1:1
# text = Someone you can trust to do what they promised
1	Someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	nsubj	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	trust	trust	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	obj	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	promised	promise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **trust** | can | Someone |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive | Someone *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |
| 3 | **promise** *speech: promise* | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn promise-37.13 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Someone who pays other people to do their jobs for them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t8:o2:1
# text = Someone who pays other people to do their jobs for them
1	Someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
2	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	_
3	pays	pay	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
4	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	jobs	job	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pay** | present |  | other people |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent people=Asset |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive |  | people's jobs |  |  |  | for people | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent job=Eventuality |
| 3 | **job** |  | people |  |  |  |  |  | nom job «act intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Someone who never ever makes a mistake of any kind

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t8:o3:1
# text = Someone who never ever makes a mistake of any kind
1	Someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
2	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	5	advmod	_	_
5	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	mistake	mistake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	10	det	_	_
10	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **make** | present |  | a mistake of any kind |  |  | ever |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mistake=Product |
| 2 | **mistake** |  | any kind |  |  |  |  |  | nom mistake «act intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Someone who always says yes to every single request

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:t8:o4:1
# text = Someone who always says yes to every single request
1	Someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
2	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
5	yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	9	det	_	_
8	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	request	request	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present |  |  | every single request |  |  | always *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V PP.recipient S-Quote»: agent=Agent to request=Recipient |

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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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- ← previous: [Letting a friend down: broken promises…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/t7/)
- next →: [Letting a friend down: broken promises…, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/t9/)
- ↑ back to [Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/)