---
title: Lucas's gran says, "back in my day the dentist didn't numb nothing."… — Scary things in the world: news, stran… · tree and pragmatics
description: Lucas's gran says, "back in my day the dentist didn't numb nothing." ("Numbing" is medicine so it doesn't hurt.) What helps Lucas now? Test 9 · ★★ of lesson 8 «Scary things in the world: news, strangers, war and what-ifs» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree an
---

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# Test 9 · ★★ · Scary things in the world: news, strangers, war and what-ifs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lucas's gran says, "back in my day the dentist didn't numb nothing." ("Numbing" is medicine so it doesn't hurt.) What helps Lucas now?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** gran, dentist, medicine · **What happens:** say, do, be, not hurt, help · **To what, where:** nothing, Numbing medicine, Lucas · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★ of lesson 8 «Scary things in the world: news, strangers, war and what-ifs» 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/8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Lucas's gran says, "back in my day the dentist didn't numb nothing."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:1
# text = Lucas's gran says, "back in my day the dentist didn't numb nothing."
1	Lucas	Lucas	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	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	back	back	ADV	RB	_	4	ccomp	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	dentist	dentist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	numb	numb	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Lucas's gran |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** *in a quote* | past | the dentist | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Eventuality |

<!-- .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:* ("Numbing" is medicine so it doesn't hurt.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:2
# text = ("Numbing" is medicine so it doesn't hurt.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Numbing	numbing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	medicine	medicine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
7	so	so	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
9	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	hurt	hurt	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | Numbing medicine |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **hurt** | present · do-support | medicine |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP-PRO-ARB»: agent=Stimulus |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What helps Lucas now?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:3
# text = What helps Lucas now?
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	Lucas	Lucas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present |  |  | Lucas |  | now |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lucas=Beneficiary |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Telling the dentist he's scared and agreeing a stop signal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:o1:1
# text = Telling the dentist he's scared and agreeing a stop signal
1	Telling	tell	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	csubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	dentist	dentist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	iobj	_	_
4	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	scared	scared	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	agreeing	agree	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	conj	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	stop	stop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	signal	signal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | gerund |  |  | the dentist |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent dentist=Recipient |
| 2 | **is** | present | he |  |  |  |  | scared *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **agree** *speech: agree* | gerund | he *not said here* | a stop signal |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent signal=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Asking for no numbing to toughen up

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:o2:1
# text = Asking for no numbing to toughen up
1	Asking	ask	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	numbing	numbing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	toughen	toughen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	xcomp	_	_
7	up	up	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | for no numbing | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **toughen up** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Never going to the dentist again

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:o3:1
# text = Never going to the dentist again
1	Never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	2	advmod	_	_
2	going	go	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	dentist	dentist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	again	again	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **go** | gerund |  |  |  | the dentist | again |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to dentist=Initial\_Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pretending to be brave and saying nothing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:8-scary-things-in-the-world-news-strangers-war-and-what-ifs:t9:o4:1
# text = Pretending to be brave and saying nothing
1	Pretending	pretend	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	cop	_	_
4	brave	brave	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	xcomp	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	saying	say	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	conj	_	_
7	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pretend** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | brave *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund |  | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent nothing=Topic |

<!-- div src -->

**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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