---
title: Harper's dad: "Did someone wait seven years and check? With a torch?… — "How do you know?" · tree and pragmatics
description: Harper's dad: "Did someone wait seven years and check? With a torch?" What is he really asking? Test 9 of lesson 186 «"How do you know?"» 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 was right.
---

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# Test 9 · "How do you know?"

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Harper's dad: "Did someone wait seven years and check? With a torch?" What is he really asking?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** someone, Harper · **What happens:** wait, check, ask

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 186 «"How do you know?"» 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/186-how-do-you-know/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Harper's dad: "Did someone wait seven years and check?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:1
# text = Harper's dad: "Did someone wait seven years and check?
1	Harper	Harper	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	:	_	8	punct	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	8	nsubj	_	_
8	wait	wait	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	parataxis	_	_
9	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	10	nummod	_	_
10	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl:unmarked	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	check	check	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** *in a quote* | past · do-support | someone |  |  |  | year |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **check** *in a quote* | infinitive | someone *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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:* With a torch?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:2
# text = With a torch?"
1	With	with	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	torch	torch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is he really asking?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:3
# text = What is he really asking?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	really	really	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	asking	ask	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present · progressive | Harper |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent what=Recipient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Where the "seven years" number came from

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:o1:1
# text = Where the "seven years" number came from
1	Where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	8	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past | the years number |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why chewing gum is so very sticky in your tummy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:o2:1
# text = Why chewing gum is so very sticky in your tummy
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
2	chewing	chew	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	csubj	_	_
3	gum	gum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	very	very	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	sticky	sticky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	tummy	tummy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chew** | gerund |  | gum |  |  |  |  | vn chew-39.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent gum=Patient |
| 2 | **is** | present | chewing |  |  | your tummy |  | sticky *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Who sells the best and brightest torches in town

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:o3:1
# text = Who sells the best and brightest torches in town
1	Who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sells	sell	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	7	amod	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	brightest	bright	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	7	amod	_	_
7	torches	torch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sell** | present |  | the best brightest torches |  | town |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent torch=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
How long a piece of gum takes to chew properly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:186-how-do-you-know:t9:o4:1
# text = How long a piece of gum takes to chew properly
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	7	advmod	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	piece	piece	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	gum	gum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	takes	take	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	chew	chew	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
10	properly	properly	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | present | a piece of gum |  |  |  |  | long *property* | vn require-103 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Theme clause=Precondition |
| 2 | **chew** | to-infinitive | a piece of gum *not said here* |  |  |  |  | properly *property* | vn chew-39.2 «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.

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