---
title: A table wobbles when pushed sideways. A carpenter adds a slanted bra… — Building strong things: bridges, tower… · tree and pragmatics
description: A table wobbles when pushed sideways. A carpenter adds a slanted brace between a leg and the top. Why does it help? Test 8 · ★★ of lesson 86 «Building strong things: bridges, towers and shapes» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and 
---

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# Test 8 · ★★ · Building strong things: bridges, towers and shapes

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A table wobbles when pushed sideways. A carpenter adds a slanted brace between a leg and the top. Why does it help?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** table, carpenter, brace · **What happens:** wobble, push, add, help · **To what, where:** slanted brace

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★★ of lesson 86 «Building strong things: bridges, towers and shapes» 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/86-building-strong-things/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A table wobbles when pushed sideways.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:1
# text = A table wobbles when pushed sideways.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	table	table	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	wobbles	wobble	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	5	mark	_	_
5	pushed	push	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
6	sideways	sideways	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wobble** | present | a table |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **push** | participle | a table *not said here* |  |  |  |  | sideways *property* | vn push-12-1-1 «NP V PP»: 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:* A carpenter adds a slanted brace between a leg and the top.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:2
# text = A carpenter adds a slanted brace between a leg and the top.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	carpenter	carpenter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	adds	add	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	slanted	slanted	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	brace	brace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	between	between	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	leg	leg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	top	top	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | present | a carpenter | a slanted brace |  |  |  | between a leg and the top | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent brace=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Why does it help?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:3
# text = Why does it help?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	help	help	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present · do-support | brace |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It glues the table to the floor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:o1:1
# text = It glues the table to the floor
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	glues	glue	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	table	table	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **glue** | present | It | the table |  |  |  | to the floor | vn tape-22.4 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: agent=Agent table=Patient to floor=Co-Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It makes the legs longer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:o2:1
# text = It makes the legs longer
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	legs	leg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	2	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | It | the legs |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material leg=Product |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It makes a triangle that cannot change shape

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:o3:1
# text = It makes a triangle that cannot change shape
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	triangle	triangle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
6	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	change	change	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
9	shape	shape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | It | a triangle |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material triangle=Product |
| 2 | **not** **change** | can | a triangle | shape |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shape=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It makes the table much heavier, so it cannot move

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:86-building-strong-things:t8:o4:1
# text = It makes the table much heavier, so it cannot move
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	table	table	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	much	much	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	heavier	heavy	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	2	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
10	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	move	move	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | It | the table |  |  |  | heavy *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material table=Product |
| 2 | **not** **move** | can | table |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme 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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