---
title: Teacher: "Your dads are both accountants. The only fighting they do… — The football argument that goes in cir… · tree and pragmatics
description: Teacher: "Your dads are both accountants. The only fighting they do is with the printer." Which is the lesson? Test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 170 «The football argument that goes in circles» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

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# Test 8 · ★★★ · The football argument that goes in circles

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Teacher: "Your dads are both accountants. The only fighting they do is with the printer." Which is the lesson?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** dads, only fighting · **What happens:** be, do · **To what, where:** both accountants, only fighting, lesson

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 170 «The football argument that goes in circles» 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/170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Teacher: "Your dads are both accountants.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:1
# text = Teacher: "Your dads are both accountants.
1	Teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	dads	dad	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	both	both	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	accountants	accountant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | Your dads | both accountants |  |  |  |  | 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:* The only fighting they do is with the printer."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:2
# text = The only fighting they do is with the printer."
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	fighting	fighting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
4	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	printer	printer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present | dads *= dad* | the only fighting *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fighting=Eventuality |
| 2 | **is** | present | the only fighting |  |  |  |  | with the printer | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Which is the lesson?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:3
# text = Which is the lesson?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	lesson	lesson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Accountants are secretly black belts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:o1:1
# text = Accountants are secretly black belts
1	Accountants	accountant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	belts	belt	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The taller dad would win a fight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:o2:1
# text = The taller dad would win a fight
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	taller	tall	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	amod	_	_
3	dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	win	win	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	fight	fight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **win** | would | the taller dad | a fight |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fight=Eventuality |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Claims you can't check aren't arguments, and fights aren't worth bragging about

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:o3:1
# text = Claims you can't check aren't arguments, and fights aren't worth bragging about
1	Claims	claim	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
3	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	check	check	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	acl:relcl	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	arguments	argument	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
11	fights	fight	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
12	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	worth	worth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	parataxis	_	_
15	bragging	brag	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	xcomp	_	_
16	about	about	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **check** | can | you | Claims *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent claim=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **is a** | present | Claims | arguments |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **is** | present | fights |  |  |  |  | worth *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **brag** *speech: other* | gerund | fights *not said here* |  |  |  |  | about *property* | vn complain-37.8 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Printers are dangerous to fight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:170-the-football-argument-that-goes-in-circles:t8:o4:1
# text = Printers are dangerous to fight
1	Printers	printer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	dangerous	dangerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	fight	fight	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Printers |  |  |  |  | dangerous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **fight** | to-infinitive | Printers *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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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