---
title: Ruby's dad: "I've just been watering it, Ruby. The rain didn't send… — "If... then..." and its traps · tree and pragmatics
description: Ruby's dad: "I've just been watering it, Ruby. The rain didn't send a postcard." What is he teaching her? Test 1 · ★★ of lesson 184 «"If... then..." and its traps» 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 1 · ★★ · "If... then..." and its traps

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ruby's dad: "I've just been watering it, Ruby. The rain didn't send a postcard." What is he teaching her?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** I, rain · **What happens:** water, not send, teach · **To what, where:** it, postcard, Ruby

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 184 «"If... then..." and its traps» 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/184-if-then-and-its-traps/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ruby's dad: "I've just been watering it, Ruby.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:1
# text = Ruby's dad: "I've just been watering it, Ruby.
1	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	10	punct	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	've	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	just	just	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	10	aux	_	_
10	watering	water	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	acl:relcl	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	Ruby	Ruby	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **water** *in a quote* | present · perfect · progressive | I | it |  |  |  |  | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent it=Destination |

<!-- .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 rain didn't send a postcard."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:2
# text = The rain didn't send a postcard."
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	send	send	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	postcard	postcard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **send** | past · do-support | the rain | a postcard |  |  |  |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent postcard=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is he teaching her?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:3
# text = What is he teaching her?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	teaching	teach	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **teach** *speech: other* | present · progressive | rain |  | Ruby |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent what=Recipient she=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wet grass always proves that it rained, whatever Dad says

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:o1:1
# text = Wet grass always proves that it rained, whatever Dad says
1	Wet	wet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	proves	prove	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	rained	rain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	whatever	whatever	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	11	obj	_	_
10	Dad	Dad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prove** | present | Wet grass |  |  |  |  | always *property* | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **rain** | past | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn weather-57 «It V PP.theme» |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Dad | whatever |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent whatever=Topic |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wet grass doesn't prove rain; other things wet grass

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:o2:1
# text = Wet grass doesn't prove rain; other things wet grass
1	Wet	wet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	prove	prove	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
10	wet	wet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **prove** | present · do-support | Wet grass | rain |  |  |  | other things *obl* | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent rain=Theme grass=Attribute |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Postcards tell you the weather

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:o3:1
# text = Postcards tell you the weather
1	Postcards	postcard	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	tell	tell	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	2	iobj	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present | Postcards | the weather | you |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent you=Recipient weather=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sprinklers can't make grass wet

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:184-if-then-and-its-traps:t1:o4:1
# text = Sprinklers can't make grass wet
1	Sprinklers	sprinkler	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
6	wet	wet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **make** | can | Sprinklers | grass |  |  |  | wet *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset grass=Product |

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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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- ← previous: [Sounds right, but is wrong, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/183-sounds-right-but-is-wrong/e4/)
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