---
title: Grandad, an old-school boomer (an older person): "Back in my day a s… — Why time flies and why it drags · tree and pragmatics
description: Grandad, an old-school boomer (an older person): "Back in my day a summer lasted forever, now a year's gone in a blink." What's a good scientific answer? Test 5 · ★★★ of lesson 110 «Why time flies and why it drags» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics
---

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# Test 5 · ★★★ · Why time flies and why it drags

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandad, an old-school boomer (an older person): "Back in my day a summer lasted forever, now a year's gone in a blink." What's a good scientific answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** summer · **What happens:** last, be · **To what, where:** day, good scientific answer

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★★★ of lesson 110 «Why time flies and why it drags» 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/110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Grandad, an old-school boomer (an older person): "Back in my day a summer lasted forever, now a year's gone in a blink."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags:t5:1
# text = Grandad, an old-school boomer (an older person): "Back in my day a summer lasted forever, now a year's gone in a blink."
1	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	boomer	boomer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	_
8	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	older	old	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	11	amod	_	_
11	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	15	punct	_	_
14	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	Back	back	ADV	RB	_	0	root	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
18	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	summer	summer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
21	lasted	last	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	18	acl:relcl	_	_
22	forever	forever	ADV	RB	_	21	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	28	punct	_	_
24	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	28	advmod	_	_
25	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
26	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	's	's	PART	POS	_	26	case	_	_
28	gone	gone	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	conj	_	_
29	in	in	ADP	IN	_	31	case	_	_
30	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	31	det	_	_
31	blink	blink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
32	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **last** *in a quote* | participle | a summer | my day *not said here* |  |  |  | forever *property* | vn cost-54.2 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme day=Value |

<!-- .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's a good scientific answer?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags:t5:2
# text = What's a good scientific answer?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	scientific	scientific	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Clocks today tick faster than old ones

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags:t5:o1:1
# text = Clocks today tick faster than old ones
1	Clocks	clock	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
3	tick	tick	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	faster	fast	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	3	advmod	_	_
5	than	than	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	ones	one	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tick** | present | Clocks |  |  |  | today | fast *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Earth now goes round the Sun faster

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags:t5:o2:1
# text = The Earth now goes round the Sun faster
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	4	advmod	_	_
4	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	round	round	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	faster	fast	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | present | the Earth |  |  | the Sun | now | fast *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme round sun=Initial\_Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Summers were really longer when he was young

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags:t5:o3:1
# text = Summers were really longer when he was young
1	Summers	summer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
3	really	really	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	8	advmod	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
6	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | Summers |  |  |  |  | long, young *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
One idea is that each year is a smaller part of his life, and fewer things are new

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:110-why-time-flies-and-why-it-drags:t5:o4:1
# text = One idea is that each year is a smaller part of his life, and fewer things are new
1	One	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	2	nummod	_	_
2	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
5	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	smaller	small	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	10	amod	_	_
10	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
16	fewer	few	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	17	amod	_	_
17	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	19	nsubj	_	_
18	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
19	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | One idea | a smaller part |  |  |  | of his life | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | fewer things |  |  |  |  | new *property* | tree rules |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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