---
title: «why can't they just go faster on the old wiggly line too» Why does… — Trains and the Underground · tree and pragmatics
description: «why can't they just go faster on the old wiggly line too» Why does a high-speed train need special track? Test 7 of lesson 21 «Trains and the Underground» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was
---

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# Test 7 · Trains and the Underground

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why can't they just go faster on the old wiggly line too» Why does a high-speed train need special track?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** they, speed train · **What happens:** not go, need · **To what, where:** old wiggly line, special track

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 of lesson 21 «Trains and the Underground» of the technology 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/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/#t7).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:t7:1
# text = «why can't they just go faster on the old wiggly line too» Why does a high-speed train need special track?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
3	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	just	just	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	go	go	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	faster	fast	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	7	advmod	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
11	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
12	wiggly	wiggly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	line	line	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
14	too	too	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
16	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	23	advmod	_	_
17	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	23	aux	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
19	high	high	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	speed	speed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	compound	_	_
22	train	train	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nsubj	_	_
23	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
24	special	special	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	_
25	track	track	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **go** *in a quote* | can | they |  |  | the old wiggly line |  | fast *property* | vn occur-48.3-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme on line=Location |
| 2 | **need** | present · do-support | a speed train | special track |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot track=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Old lines are too narrow for its extra-wide wheels, so it would fall off the track

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:t7:o1:1
# text = Old lines are too narrow for its extra-wide wheels, so it would fall off the track
1	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	lines	line	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	too	too	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	narrow	narrow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
8	extra	extra	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	wide	wide	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	wheels	wheel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	so	so	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
15	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
16	fall	fall	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
17	off	off	ADP	RP	_	16	compound:prt	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	track	track	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Old lines |  |  |  |  | for its wide wheels; narrow *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **fall off** | would | it | the track |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.patient V NP.extent PP.source PP.goal»: agent=Patient track=Extent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old lines have no electricity at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:t7:o2:1
# text = The old lines have no electricity at all
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	lines	line	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	electricity	electricity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the old lines | no electricity |  | all |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent electricity=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It needs smooth track with gentle curves to go around 300 km/h safely

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:t7:o3:1
# text = It needs smooth track with gentle curves to go around 300 km/h safely
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	needs	need	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	smooth	smooth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	track	track	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	gentle	gentle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	curves	curve	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
10	around	around	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	300	300	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
12	km/h	km/h	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
13	safely	safely	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present | It | smooth track |  |  |  | with gentle curves | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot track=Theme |
| 2 | **go around** | to-infinitive |  | 300 km/h |  |  |  | safely *property* | vn meander-47.7 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location km/h=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fast trains can only run on bridges

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:t7:o4:1
# text = Fast trains can only run on bridges
1	Fast	fast	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	trains	train	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	run	run	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	bridges	bridge	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | can | Fast trains |  |  | bridges |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on bridge=Trajectory |

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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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- ← previous: [Trains and the Underground, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/t6/)
- next →: [Trains and the Underground, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/t8/)
- ↑ back to [Trains and the Underground](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/)