---
title: Maddie's gran calls her a "proper scatterbrain" and says "my head's… — When it was my fault: owning up and ma… · tree and pragmatics
description: Maddie's gran calls her a "proper scatterbrain" and says "my head's like a sieve too." What's the useful lesson? Test 6 · ★★ of lesson 5 «When it was my fault: owning up and making it right» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question an
---

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# Test 6 · ★★ · When it was my fault: owning up and making it right

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Maddie's gran calls her a "proper scatterbrain" and says "my head's like a sieve too." What's the useful lesson?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** gran, head, useful lesson · **What happens:** call, say, be · **To what, where:** Maddie · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★ of lesson 5 «When it was my fault: owning up and making it right» 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/5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Maddie's gran calls her a "proper scatterbrain" and says "my head's like a sieve too."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right:t6:1
# text = Maddie's gran calls her a "proper scatterbrain" and says "my head's like a sieve too."
1	Maddie	Maddie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	gran	gran	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	calls	call	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	proper	proper	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	scatterbrain	scatterbrain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
13	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
17	like	like	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	sieve	sieve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	ccomp	_	_
20	too	too	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	19	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | present | Maddie's gran |  | Maddie |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent she=Recipient |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Maddie's gran *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | my head |  |  |  |  | like a sieve | 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:* What's the useful lesson?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right:t6:2
# text = What's the useful lesson?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	useful	useful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	lesson	lesson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She should practise remembering without any help

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right:t6:o1:1
# text = She should practise remembering without any help
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	practise	practise	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	remembering	remember	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
5	without	without	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
7	help	help	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **practise** | should | She |  |  |  |  | without any help | tree rules |
| 2 | **remember** | gerund | She *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Scatterbrains can never learn to remember things

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right:t6:o2:1
# text = Scatterbrains can never learn to remember things
1	Scatterbrains	scatterbrain	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	learn	learn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	remember	remember	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **learn** | can | Scatterbrains |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **remember** | to-infinitive | Scatterbrains *not said here* | things |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent thing=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only old people are allowed to forget things

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right:t6:o3:1
# text = Only old people are allowed to forget things
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	forget	forget	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allow** | present · passive |  | old people |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **forget** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | old people *not said here* | things |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Forgetting is normal, and a system like a fridge board helps

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right:t6:o4:1
# text = Forgetting is normal, and a system like a fridge board helps
1	Forgetting	forgetting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	normal	normal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	system	system	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	fridge	fridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	board	board	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
12	helps	help	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Forgetting |  |  |  |  | normal *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **help** | present | a system like a fridge board |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: 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.

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- ← previous: [When it was my fault: owning up and ma…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right/t5/)
- next →: [When it was my fault: owning up and ma…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right/t7/)
- ↑ back to [When it was my fault: owning up and making it right](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/5-when-it-was-my-fault-owning-up-and-making-it-right/)