---
title: Hannah's friend says, "Quakers don't swear oaths, so they can lie in… — Vows, oaths and promises in faith · tree and pragmatics
description: Hannah's friend says, "Quakers don't swear oaths, so they can lie in court." What is wrong? Test 3 of lesson 88 «Vows, oaths and promises in faith» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wr
---

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# Test 3 · Vows, oaths and promises in faith

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hannah's friend says, "Quakers don't swear oaths, so they can lie in court." What is wrong?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** friend, Quakers · **What happens:** say, not swear, lie, be · **To what, where:** oaths, court · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is test 3 of lesson 88 «Vows, oaths and promises in faith» 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/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Hannah's friend says, "Quakers don't swear oaths, so they can lie in court."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t3:1
# text = Hannah's friend says, "Quakers don't swear oaths, so they can lie in court."
1	Hannah	Hannah	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	friend	friend	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	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Quakers	quaker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
8	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	swear	swear	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
11	oaths	oath	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	so	so	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
14	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
15	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
16	lie	lie	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Hannah's friend |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **swear** *in a quote* | present · do-support | Quakers | oaths |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Agent oath=Eventuality |
| 3 | **lie** *in a quote* | can | Quakers *= quaker* |  |  | court |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent in court=Location |

<!-- .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 is wrong?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t3:2
# text = What is wrong?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	wrong	wrong	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 |  |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They make a solemn promise instead, and lying is still perjury

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t3:o1:1
# text = They make a solemn promise instead, and lying is still perjury
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	solemn	solemn	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	instead	instead	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
9	lying	lie	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	still	still	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	perjury	perjury	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | They | a solemn promise |  |  |  | instead *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset promise=Product |
| 2 | **lie** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** | present |  | perjury |  |  | still |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only Quakers are allowed to lie in court

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t3:o2:1
# text = Only Quakers are allowed to lie in court
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	Quakers	Quaker	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	lie	lie	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allow** | present · passive |  | Quakers |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **lie** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | Quakers *not said here* |  |  | court |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent in court=Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Quakers don't go to court, so it doesn't matter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t3:o3:1
# text = Quakers don't go to court, so it doesn't matter
1	Quakers	quaker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
10	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **go** | present · do-support | Quakers |  |  | court |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to court=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **not** **matter** | present · do-support | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing; Quakers can say anything they like in court because they never swore

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t3:o4:1
# text = Nothing; Quakers can say anything they like in court because they never swore
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
3	Quakers	Quaker	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	acl:relcl	_	_
6	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	_
7	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	like	like	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
11	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
12	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
13	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	swore	swear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | can | Quakers | anything |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent anything=Topic |
| 2 | **like** | present | Quakers *= quaker* |  |  | court |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **not** **swear** | past | Quakers *= quaker* |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: 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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ↑ back to [Vows, oaths and promises in faith](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/)