---
title: Ruby argues pets in class are cruel; Ben argues they're good for chi… — How to argue: counter-arguments and re… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ruby argues pets in class are cruel; Ben argues they're good for children. What common ground could they start from? Test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 40 «How to argue: counter-arguments and respect» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/t8/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Religion ethics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/) / [How to argue: counter-arguments and re…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/) / t8

# Test 8 · ★★★ · How to argue: counter-arguments and respect

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ruby argues pets in class are cruel; Ben argues they're good for children. What common ground could they start from?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Ruby, Ben, pets, common ground · **What happens:** argue, be, start · **To what, where:** pets, class · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 40 «How to argue: counter-arguments and respect» of the religion ethics 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/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ruby argues pets in class are cruel; Ben argues they're good for children.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:t8:1
# text = Ruby argues pets in class are cruel; Ben argues they're good for children.
1	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	argues	argue	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	pets	pet	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	class	class	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	cruel	cruel	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	10	punct	_	_
9	Ben	Ben	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	argues	argue	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	ccomp	_	_
14	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **argue** *speech: disagree* | present | Ruby | pets |  | class |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent pet=Topic |
| 2 | **be** | present | Ruby *not said here* |  |  |  |  | cruel *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **argue** *speech: disagree* | present | Ben |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is** | present | pets *= pet* |  |  |  |  | for children; good *property* | 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 common ground could they start from?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:t8:2
# text = What common ground could they start from?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	obj	_	_
2	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	start	start	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **start** | could | common ground |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both think the head teacher should not have any say

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:t8:o1:1
# text = Both think the head teacher should not have any say
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	nsubj	_	_
2	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
9	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	10	det	_	_
10	say	say	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | present | Both |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **have** | should | the head teacher | any say |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent say=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both think pets should be kept in every single classroom

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:t8:o2:1
# text = Both think pets should be kept in every single classroom
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	nsubj	_	_
2	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	pets	pet	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	ccomp	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
9	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	classroom	classroom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | present | Both |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **keep** | should · passive |  | pets |  | every single classroom |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme in classroom=Location |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both want what is best for the animals and the children

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:t8:o3:1
# text = Both want what is best for the animals and the children
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	nsubj	_	_
2	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	xcomp	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | Both |  |  |  |  | for the animals and the children | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **is** *not said to happen* | present |  |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both think children should never be near any animals

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:t8:o4:1
# text = Both think children should never be near any animals
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	nsubj	_	_
2	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
4	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	be	be	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
7	near	near	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	det	_	_
9	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | present | Both |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **be** | should | children |  |  |  |  | near any animals | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme near animal=Location |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [How to argue: counter-arguments and re…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/t7/)
- next →: [How to argue: counter-arguments and re…, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/t9/)
- ↑ back to [How to argue: counter-arguments and respect](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/)