---
title: Your brother says, "Just blame the cat, cats can't get grounded." Wh… — Owning up: the broken vase and the los… · tree and pragmatics
description: Your brother says, "Just blame the cat, cats can't get grounded." What is the best reply? Test 1 · ★ of lesson 89 «Owning up: the broken vase and the lost library book» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option;
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/t1/)

<!-- 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/) / [Owning up: the broken vase and the los…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/) / t1

# Test 1 · ★ · Owning up: the broken vase and the lost library book

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your brother says, "Just blame the cat, cats can't get grounded." What is the best reply?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** brother, best reply · **What happens:** say, blame, not ground, be · **To what, where:** cat, cats · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★ of lesson 89 «Owning up: the broken vase and the lost library book» 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/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your brother says, "Just blame the cat, cats can't get grounded."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book:t1:1
# text = Your brother says, "Just blame the cat, cats can't get grounded."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Just	just	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	blame	blame	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
11	cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj:pass	_	_
12	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
14	get	get	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	aux:pass	_	_
15	grounded	ground	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **blame** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | the cat |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cat=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **ground** *in a quote* | can · passive |  | cats |  |  |  |  | vn pocket-9.10-1 «NP V ADVP»: subject=Destination |

<!-- .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 the best reply?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book:t1:2
# text = What is the best reply?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	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	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	reply	reply	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 best reply |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Good idea, the cat won't mind

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book:t1:o1:1
# text = Good idea, the cat won't mind
1	Good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	wo	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	mind	mind	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **mind** | future | the cat |  |  |  |  |  | vn care-88.1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Blame the dog instead, he's bigger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book:t1:o2:1
# text = Blame the dog instead, he's bigger
1	Blame	blame	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	instead	instead	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	1	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blame** | imperative | you *not said here* | the dog |  |  |  | instead *property* | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dog=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | dog |  |  |  |  | big *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Blame the window for being too close

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book:t1:o3:1
# text = Blame the window for being too close
1	Blame	blame	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	cop	_	_
6	too	too	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	close	close	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blame** | imperative | you *not said here* | the window |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent window=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | close *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Letting anyone else take the blame, even the cat, is the oldest trick and still wrong

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book:t1:o4:1
# text = Letting anyone else take the blame, even the cat, is the oldest trick and still wrong
1	Letting	let	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	15	csubj	_	_
2	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	1	obj	_	_
3	else	else	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	xcomp	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	blame	blame	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	even	even	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	oldest	old	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	15	amod	_	_
15	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
17	still	still	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
18	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **let** | gerund |  | anyone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **take** | infinitive | anyone *not said here* | the blame and the cat |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent blame=Theme |
| 3 | **is a** | present | Letting | the oldest trick |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **be** |  | Letting *not said here* |  |  |  | still |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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: [Vows, oaths and promises in faith, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/e4/)
- next →: [Owning up: the broken vase and the los…, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/t2/)
- ↑ back to [Owning up: the broken vase and the lost library book](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/)