--- title: The check that settles it — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «The check that settles it», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Ella's brother said, «Mum said I can have the last cake.» Ella said, «Let's ask her.» «Er, no — she's busy.» The person who is lying often does --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / The check that settles it # The check that settles it Lesson 451 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 39 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/0/) — Ella's brother said, «Mum said I can have the last cake.» Ella said, «Let's ask her.» «Er, no — she's busy.» The person who is lying often doesn't want you to check. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/1/) — Ella asked anyway; Mum said «Share it.» Ruby's teacher showed the class three questions that settle almost any claim: How do you know? - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/2/) — Can we check? - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/3/) — What would prove it wrong? - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/4/) — A two-second check beats a twenty-minute argument. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/5/) — Lots of things keep records. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/6/) — Kai's mate swore he'd beaten the final boss «in like ten minutes, bro». - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/8/) — He went red: «Okay, I watched someone do it on YouTube.» Kai laughed: «Fair, mate. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/9/) — Still counts as research.» Max's friend said the teacher said there was no homework; Max checked the class website — there was. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/10/) — Two lads in Leeds argued about who scored the winning goal in the playground. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/11/) — «It were me, you donut!» («It were» is Yorkshire for «it was».) A kid had filmed it on a tablet: it went in off Liam's knee, and everyone howled. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/12/) — News and messages can be checked too. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/14/) — The post came from a page called «LOL News Daily». - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/15/) — If big news is true, lots of trusted places report it. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/16/) — Zoe's mum in Cardiff got a text: «Hi Mum, it's me, broke my phone, new number, can you send money?» She showed Zoe and laughed: «Your brother's in the living room, love.» The check is easy: ring the number you already know, or look in the next room. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/17/) — A check isn't only for catching liars. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/18/) — Ben's little sister said she'd already fed the cat. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/19/) — Ben looked: the bowl was full and fresh. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/21/) — Josh said he'd tidied the garage; Dad didn't argue, he just went and looked — tidy! - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/22/) — «Champion, son» (in the North of England «champion» means excellent). - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/23/) — Aroha's friend said she'd seen a famous singer in a supermarket in Auckland; the singer's posts showed she was in London that day. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/24/) — They laughed: «Must've been her twin, eh.» Her friend wasn't lying — just mistaken. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/25/) — Even honest people remember things wrongly; evidence settles what memory can't. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/26/) — So check calmly, not to catch someone, but to know. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/27/) — «Let's have a look» is the fairest check there is: no accusation, just eyes. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/28/) — It clears honest people as often as it catches dishonest ones. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/29/) — One boy used the three questions on his big brother at home, who didn't like it at all. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/30/) — Someone who refuses a simple check, like «let's ask Mum», may be hiding a lie. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/31/) — Three questions settle most claims: How do you know? - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/32/) — Can we check? - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/33/) — What would prove it wrong? - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/34/) — Games, phones and apps keep records such as trophies, dates and history that can settle arguments. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/35/) — Official sources, like a class website or a notice board, are better than rumours. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/36/) — A video or photo of an event can settle what memory cannot. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/37/) — Honest people can remember wrongly, especially when they want something to be true. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/38/) — If big news is true, many trusted news places report it; if only one odd page does, it is probably fake. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/39/) — Scam texts sometimes pretend to be a child with a new phone asking for money; the check is to call the old number. - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/40/) — A check can prove someone right as well as wrong. - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/42/) — Sometimes a person isn't lying but mistaken, like someone who saw a lookalike. - ← previous: [Too many details, too few](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/450-too-many-details-too-few/) - next →: [Being lied to and how it feels](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/452-being-lied-to-and-how-it-feels/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)