---
title: Mei's gran in Singapore: "Incense clock is our old alarm, lah." ("La… — Clocks before clocks: sundials, water… · tree and pragmatics
description: Mei's gran in Singapore: "Incense clock is our old alarm, lah." ("Lah" just adds feeling at the end of a sentence.) How did it make a sound? Test 5 of lesson 122 «Clocks before clocks: sundials, water clocks, candles and hourglasses» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency 
---

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# Test 5 · Clocks before clocks: sundials, water clocks, candles and…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mei's gran in Singapore: "Incense clock is our old alarm, lah." ("Lah" just adds feeling at the end of a sentence.) How did it make a sound?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Incense clock, Lah, feeling · **What happens:** be, add, make · **To what, where:** old alarm, feeling, end, sound

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 of lesson 122 «Clocks before clocks: sundials, water clocks, candles and hourglasses» 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/122-clocks-before-clocks/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Mei's gran in Singapore: "Incense clock is our old alarm, lah."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:1
# text = Mei's gran in Singapore: "Incense clock is our old alarm, lah."
1	Mei	Mei	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	gran	gran	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	Singapore	Singapore	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Incense	incense	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
11	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
12	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	alarm	alarm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	lah	lah	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | Incense clock | our old alarm |  |  |  |  | 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:* ("Lah" just adds feeling at the end of a sentence.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:2
# text = ("Lah" just adds feeling at the end of a sentence.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Lah	Lah	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	adds	add	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | present | Lah | feeling |  |  | at the end of a sentence |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent feeling=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* How did it make a sound?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:3
# text = How did it make a sound?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | past · do-support | feeling | a sound |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material sound=Product |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A bell was tied to the smoke

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:o1:1
# text = A bell was tied to the smoke
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	bell	bell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	tied	tie	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tie** | past · passive |  | a bell |  |  |  | to the smoke | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: subject=Patient to smoke=Co-Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The incense popped loudly every hour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:o2:1
# text = The incense popped loudly every hour
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	incense	incense	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	popped	pop	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	loudly	loudly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pop** | past | the incense |  |  |  | hour | loudly *property* | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Balls on threads fell onto a metal plate

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:o3:1
# text = Balls on threads fell onto a metal plate
1	Balls	ball	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	on	on	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	threads	thread	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
4	fell	fall	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	onto	onto	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	metal	metal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	plate	plate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | past | Balls on threads |  |  | a metal plate |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme onto plate=Initial\_Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The stick sang as it burned

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:122-clocks-before-clocks:t5:o4:1
# text = The stick sang as it burned
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sang	sing	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	burned	burn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sing** *speech: express* | past | the stick |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **burn** | past | stick |  |  |  |  |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «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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