---
title: In a cartoon a man walks under a ladder and a piano falls on him "be… — Lucky socks and Grandma's superstitions · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon a man walks under a ladder and a piano falls on him "because of bad luck". Put it right. Test 5 of lesson 161 «Lucky socks and Grandma's superstitions» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice
---

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# Test 5 · Lucky socks and Grandma's superstitions

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon a man walks under a ladder and a piano falls on him "because of bad luck". Put it right.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** man, piano, you · **What happens:** walk, fall, put · **To what, where:** cartoon, bad luck, piano

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 of lesson 161 «Lucky socks and Grandma's superstitions» 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/161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon a man walks under a ladder and a piano falls on him "because of bad luck".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions:t5:1
# text = In a cartoon a man walks under a ladder and a piano falls on him "because of bad luck".
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	walks	walk	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	under	under	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	ladder	ladder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	piano	piano	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	falls	fall	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
14	on	on	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obl	_	_
16	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	because	because	ADP	IN	ExtPos=ADP	19	case	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	fixed	_	_
19	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	luck	luck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **walk** | present | a man |  |  | a cartoon |  | under a ladder | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in cartoon=Trajectory |
| 2 | **fall** | present | a piano | bad luck |  |  |  | on man | vn occur-48.3 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme on he=Location |

<!-- .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:* Put it right.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions:t5:2
# text = Put it right.
1	Put	put	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	right	right	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | imperative | you *not said here* | piano |  |  |  | right *property* | vn invest-13.5.4-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent it=Goal |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Walking under ladders is always safe, even while people are working up on them

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions:t5:o1:1
# text = Walking under ladders is always safe, even while people are working up on them
1	Walking	walk	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	csubj	_	_
2	under	under	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	ladders	ladder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	6	advmod	_	_
6	safe	safe	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	even	even	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
9	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
10	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
11	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
12	working	work	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	conj	_	_
13	up	up	ADP	RP	_	12	compound:prt	_	_
14	on	on	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **walk** | gerund |  |  |  | ladders |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme under ladder=Trajectory |
| 2 | **is** | present | Walking |  |  |  |  | always, safe *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **work up** | present · progressive | people |  |  |  |  | on ladders *= ladder* | vn employment-95.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent on they=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pianos only fall near ladders on Fridays

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions:t5:o2:1
# text = Pianos only fall near ladders on Fridays
1	Pianos	piano	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	fall	fall	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	near	near	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	ladders	ladder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	Fridays	Friday	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | present | Pianos |  |  | ladders | friday |  | vn occur-48.3 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme near ladder=Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ladders really do bring bad luck, so pianos fall

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions:t5:o3:1
# text = Ladders really do bring bad luck, so pianos fall
1	Ladders	ladder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	bring	bring	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	luck	luck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	pianos	piano	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
10	fall	fall	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bring** | present · do-support | Ladders | bad luck |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent luck=Theme |
| 2 | **fall** | present | pianos |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Things can fall from above a ladder; it's about safety, not luck

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:161-lucky-socks-and-grandmas-superstitions:t5:o4:1
# text = Things can fall from above a ladder; it's about safety, not luck
1	Things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	fall	fall	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	above	above	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	ladder	ladder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	about	about	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	safety	safety	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	luck	luck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | can | Things |  |  | a ladder |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme from ladder=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **is** | present | ladder |  |  |  |  | about safety and luck | 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.

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