---
title: Rory: "Mam says if you're on time you're late. That makes no sense!"… — Late and early: being where you need t… · tree and pragmatics
description: Rory: "Mam says if you're on time you're late. That makes no sense!" What does she mean? Test 1 · ★★ of lesson 106 «Late and early: being where you need to be on time» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's cho
---

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# Test 1 · ★★ · Late and early: being where you need to be on time

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Rory: "Mam says if you're on time you're late. That makes no sense!" What does she mean?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Rory, you, That · **What happens:** say, be, make, mean · **To what, where:** sense · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 106 «Late and early: being where you need to be on time» 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/106-late-and-early-being-on-time/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Rory: "Mam says if you're on time you're late.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:1
# text = Rory: "Mam says if you're on time you're late.
1	Rory	Rory	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	Mam	Mam	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
7	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
11	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	late	late	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | Rory |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | present | you |  |  |  | time | late *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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:* That makes no sense!"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:2
# text = That makes no sense!"
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	nsubj	_	_
2	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	sense	sense	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | That | no sense |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset sense=Product |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What does she mean?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:3
# text = What does she mean?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present · do-support | Rory |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Being on time is rude

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:o1:1
# text = Being on time is rude
1	Being	be	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	csubj	_	_
2	on	on	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	rude	rude	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | gerund |  |  |  |  | time |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | Being |  |  |  |  | rude *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Clocks in Ireland run late

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:o2:1
# text = Clocks in Ireland run late
1	Clocks	clock	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	Ireland	Ireland	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	run	run	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	late	late	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | present | Clocks in Ireland |  |  |  |  | late *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Always arrive after the start time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:o3:1
# text = Always arrive after the start time
1	Always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	2	advmod	_	_
2	arrive	arrive	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	after	after	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	start	start	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **arrive** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  | time | always *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Arrive a bit early, so you're ready when it starts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:106-late-and-early-being-on-time:t1:o4:1
# text = Arrive a bit early, so you're ready when it starts
1	Arrive	arrive	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl:unmarked	_	_
4	early	early	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	ready	ready	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	parataxis	_	_
10	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	12	mark	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	starts	start	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **arrive** | imperative | you *not said here* | a bit |  |  |  | early *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | you |  |  |  |  | ready *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **start** | present | bit |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

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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: [Alarms, stopwatches and how long a sec…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/105-alarms-stopwatches-how-long-a-second-is/e4/)
- next →: [Late and early: being where you need t…, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/106-late-and-early-being-on-time/t2/)
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