---
title: Lucy asks, "How do Grandma and Grandad keep a promise for fifty year… — Vows, oaths and promises in faith · tree and pragmatics
description: Lucy asks, "How do Grandma and Grandad keep a promise for fifty years?" What would they likely say? Test 9 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 choic
---

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# Test 9 · Vows, oaths and promises in faith

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lucy asks, "How do Grandma and Grandad keep a promise for fifty years?" What would they likely say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Lucy, Grandma · **What happens:** ask, do, keep, say · **To what, where:** Grandma, promise · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 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/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Lucy asks, "How do Grandma and Grandad keep a promise for fifty years?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t9:1
# text = Lucy asks, "How do Grandma and Grandad keep a promise for fifty years?"
1	Lucy	Lucy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
6	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
7	Grandma	grandma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	keep	keep	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	fifty	fifty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	15	nummod	_	_
15	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | Lucy |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** *in a quote* | present |  | Grandma and Grandad |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent grandma=Eventuality |
| 3 | **keep** *in a quote* | present |  | a promise |  |  | for fifty years |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent promise=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 would they likely say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t9:2
# text = What would they likely say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	likely	likely	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | would | Grandma |  |  |  |  | likely *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They wrote it down once on their wedding day and then forgot it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t9:o1:1
# text = They wrote it down once on their wedding day and then forgot it
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	wrote	write	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	down	down	ADP	RP	_	2	compound:prt	_	_
5	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	2	advmod	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
8	wedding	wedding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	12	advmod	_	_
12	forgot	forget	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write down** | past | They | it |  |  | day | once *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 2 | **forget** | past | They *not said here* | it |  |  | then |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Promises keep themselves automatically once you are married

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t9:o2:1
# text = Promises keep themselves automatically once you are married
1	Promises	promise	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	keep	keep	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obj	_	_
4	automatically	automatically	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
5	once	once	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	married	marry	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | present | Promises | Promises *= promise* |  |  |  | automatically *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent themselves=Theme |
| 2 | **marry** | present · passive |  | you |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
One day at a time, with honesty and lots of forgiveness

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t9:o3:1
# text = One day at a time, with honesty and lots of forgiveness
1	One	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	2	nummod	_	_
2	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	honesty	honesty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	lots	lot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	forgiveness	forgiveness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They never had a single argument in all those fifty years together

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith:t9:o4:1
# text = They never had a single argument in all those fifty years together
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	argument	argument	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	11	det:predet	_	_
9	those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	11	det	_	_
10	fifty	fifty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	11	nummod	_	_
11	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
12	together	together	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **have** | past | They | a single argument |  |  | year | together *property* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent argument=Patient |

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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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- ↑ 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/)