---
title: Ruby: "Dad, the clock's broken, the skinny hand is zooming round!" W… — Reading the clock: hours, minutes and… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ruby: "Dad, the clock's broken, the skinny hand is zooming round!" What is really going on? Test 4 of lesson 101 «Reading the clock: hours, minutes and the two hands» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choi
---

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# Test 4 · Reading the clock: hours, minutes and the two hands

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ruby: "Dad, the clock's broken, the skinny hand is zooming round!" What is really going on?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** skinny hand · **What happens:** break, zoom, go on · **To what, where:** Ruby

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 of lesson 101 «Reading the clock: hours, minutes and the two hands» of the world 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/world/101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ruby: "Dad, the clock's broken, the skinny hand is zooming round!"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands:t4:1
# text = Ruby: "Dad, the clock's broken, the skinny hand is zooming round!"
1	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	4	punct	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	skinny	skinny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	zooming	zoom	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	conj	_	_
16	round	round	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** *in a quote* | present · passive |  | Ruby |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **zoom** *in a quote* | present · progressive | the skinny hand |  |  |  |  | round *property* | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=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 is really going on?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands:t4:2
# text = What is really going on?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	really	really	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	going	go	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go on** | present · progressive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn function-105.2.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The clock is broken; no hand should move that fast

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands:t4:o1:1
# text = The clock is broken; no hand should move that fast
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	move	move	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	parataxis	_	_
10	that	that	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	fast	fast	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** | present · passive |  | the clock |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **move** | should | no hand |  |  |  |  | fast, that *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That is the second hand; it goes round once a minute

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands:t4:o2:1
# text = That is the second hand; it goes round once a minute
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	5	amod	_	_
5	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
9	round	round	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
10	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	8	advmod	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	minute	minute	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | That | the second hand |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **go round** | present | hand |  |  |  |  | once, round *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is the hour hand on fast-forward

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands:t4:o3:1
# text = It is the hour hand on fast-forward
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	fast	fast	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	forward	forward	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | the hour hand |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is the minute hand, so the clock is running fast

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands:t4:o4:1
# text = It is the minute hand, so the clock is running fast
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	minute	minute	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	running	run	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
12	fast	fast	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	11	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | the minute hand |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **run** | present · progressive | the clock |  |  |  |  | fast *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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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: [Reading the clock: hours, minutes and…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands/t3/)
- next →: [Reading the clock: hours, minutes and…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands/t5/)
- ↑ back to [Reading the clock: hours, minutes and the two hands](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/101-reading-the-clock-hours-minutes-hands/)