From 2c522aa4b03ff51fac93cdbfee23317e457ac968 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Rhiannon Morris Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2021 05:34:05 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] add mirror of test cases page --- pages/index.md | 3 + pages/syn-test-cases.md | 499 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 502 insertions(+) create mode 100644 pages/syn-test-cases.md diff --git a/pages/index.md b/pages/index.md index 9fef26f..6d3edd9 100644 --- a/pages/index.md +++ b/pages/index.md @@ -19,3 +19,6 @@ couple of buzzwords each: It has nine genders and vowel harmony. * [an unnamed language with a volapük-ass aesthetic](vol) + +Also, [a mirror](syn-test-cases.html) of some syntax test cases, originally +compiled by Gary Shannon, that might be useful to someone. diff --git a/pages/syn-test-cases.md b/pages/syn-test-cases.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..109c97b --- /dev/null +++ b/pages/syn-test-cases.md @@ -0,0 +1,499 @@ +--- +title: Conlang syntax test cases +toc: false +... + +The contents of this page are mirrored from [Gary Shannon's website][gs], as the +domain has changed hands and that page no longer exists. (It can also be found +[on archive.org][a]). + +[gs]: http://fiziwig.com/conlang/syntax_tests.html +[a]: https://web.archive.org/web/2010/fiziwig.com/conlang/syntax_tests.html + +--- + +There are several collections of specimen sentences to translate into +a conlang, including 1200 sentences on this web site. As a general rule the +sources for these sentences have been elementary-level educational +publications meant to provide a student with rote practise exercises. This +means that the same sentence structure will appear many times with only +slight variations in the nouns and verbs used. For example, these sentences +from _1200 Graded Sentences for Analysis_: + +> * A cheerful fire is blazing on the hearth. +> * Seven little sisters were walking in a row. +> * Some beautiful roses are blooming in our garden. +> * The boys are playing in the lot. +> * The little girl was playing with her kitten. + +Granted, these sentences may use different conjugations of a verb, and +different declensions of the various nouns and pronouns, but aside from those +trivial difference, these sentences are essentially identical with respect to +the syntactical features they are meant to test or demonstrate. That kind of +repetition is fine for rote training, but it is not really necessary for +testing a conlang. To serve that purpose there needs to be only one sentence +of the type: "Roses are red." + +What is necessary is a variety of unique sentences each of which tests some +different aspect of the conlang. This collection was constructed by putting +together several more repetative lists and culling out that larger +collection, those sentences which duplicate syntactic principles already +present earlier in the list. + +Below are 218 sentences selected from a collection of 1200 sentences, with +all those that are essentially duplicates removed. + +Some sentences have been slightly modified to remove references to a specific +culture or time, to make the sentence more "universal" for conlangs of any +era or culture. For example "We went to London..." has been changed to "We +went to the village...". In other sentences allowances will have to made for +conlangs from cultures that don't have Mondays, windows, or snow. The +important thing is whether the conlang being tested can handle the meaning of +sentences of that general structure. + +--- + +1. The sun shines. + +2. The sun is shining. + +3. The sun shone. + +4. The sun will shine. + +5. The sun has been shining. + +6. The sun is shining again. + +7. The sun will shine tomorrow. + +8. The sun shines brightly. + +9. The bright sun shines. + +10. The sun is rising now. + +11. All the people shouted. + +12. Some of the people shouted. + +13. Many of the people shouted twice. + +14. Happy people often shout. + +15. The kitten jumped up. + +16. The kitten jumped onto the table. + +17. My little kitten walked away. + +18. It's raining. + +19. The rain came down. + +20. The kitten is playing in the rain. + +21. The rain has stopped. + +22. Soon the rain will stop. + +23. I hope the rain stops soon. + +24. Once wild animals lived here. + +25. Slowly she looked around. + +26. Go away! + +27. Let's go! + +28. You should go. + +29. I will be happy to go. + +30. He will arrive soon. + +31. The baby's ball has rolled away. + +32. The two boys are working together. + +33. This mist will probably clear away. + +34. Lovely flowers are growing everywhere. + +35. We should eat more slowly. + +36. You have come too soon. + +37. You must write more neatly. + +38. Directly opposite stands a wonderful palace. + +39. Henry's dog is lost. + +40. My cat is black. + +41. The little girl's doll is broken. + +42. I usually sleep soundly. + +43. The children ran after Jack. + +44. I can play after school. + +45. We went to the village for a visit. + +46. We arrived at the river. + +47. I have been waiting for you. + +48. The campers sat around the fire. + +49. A little girl with a kitten sat near me. + +50. The child waited at the door for her father. + +51. Yesterday the oldest girl in the village lost her kitten. + +52. Were you born in this village? + +53. Can your brother dance well? + +54. Did the man leave? + +55. Is your sister coming for you? + +56. Can you come tomorrow? + +57. Have the neighbors gone away for the winter? + +58. Does the robin sing in the rain? + +59. Are you going with us to the concert? + +60. Have you ever travelled in the jungle? + +61. We sailed down the river for several miles. + +62. Everybody knows about hunting. + +63. On a Sunny morning after the solstice we started for the mountains. + +64. Tom laughed at the monkey's tricks. + +65. An old man with a walking stick stood beside the fence. + +66. The squirrel's nest was hidden by drooping boughs. + +67. The little seeds waited patiently under the snow for the warm spring sun. + +68. Many little girls with wreaths of flowers on their heads danced around the + bonfire. + +69. The cover of the basket fell to the floor. + +70. The first boy in the line stopped at the entrance. + +71. On the top of the hill in a little hut lived a wise old woman. + +72. During our residence in the country we often walked in the pastures. + +73. When will your guests from the city arrive? + +74. Near the mouth of the river, its course turns sharply towards the East. + +75. Between the two lofty mountains lay a fertile valley. + +76. Among the wheat grew tall red poppies. + +77. The strong roots of the oak trees were torn from the ground. + +78. The sun looked down through the branches upon the children at play. + +79. The west wind blew across my face like a friendly caress. + +80. The spool of thread rolled across the floor. + +81. A box of growing plants stood in the Window. + +82. I am very happy. + +83. These oranges are juicy. + +84. Sea water is salty. + +85. The streets are full of people. + +86. Sugar tastes sweet. + +87. The fire feels hot. + +88. The little girl seemed lonely. + +89. The little boy's father had once been a sailor. + +90. I have lost my blanket. + +91. A robin has built his nest in the apple tree. + +92. At noon we ate our lunch by the roadside. + +93. Mr. Jones made a knife for his little boy. + +94. Their voices sound very happy. + +95. Is today Monday? + +96. Have all the leaves fallen from the tree? + +97. Will you be ready on time? + +98. Will you send this message for me? + +99. Are you waiting for me? + +100. Is this the first kitten of the litter? + +101. Are these shoes too big for you? + +102. How wide is the River? + +103. Listen. + +104. Sit here by me. + +105. Keep this secret until tomorrow. + +106. Come with us. + +107. Bring your friends with you. + +108. Be careful. + +109. Have some tea. + +110. Pip and his dog were great friends. + +111. John and Elizabeth are brother and sister. + +112. You and I will go together. + +113. They opened all the doors and windows. + +114. He is small, but strong. + +115. Is this tree an oak or a maple? + +116. Does the sky look blue or gray? + +117. Come with your father or mother. + +118. I am tired, but very happy. + +119. He played a tune on his wonderful flute. + +120. Toward the end of August the days grow much shorter. + +121. A company of soldiers marched over the hill and across the meadow. + +122. The first part of the story is very interesting. + +123. The crow dropped some pebbles into the pitcher and raised the water to the + brim. + +124. The baby clapped her hands and laughed in glee. + +125. Stop your game and be quiet. + +126. The sound of the drums grew louder and louder. + +127. Do you like summer or winter better? + +128. That boy will have a wonderful trip. + +129. They popped corn, and then sat around the fire and ate it. + +130. They won the first two games, but lost the last one. + +131. Take this note, carry it to your mother; and wait for an answer. + +132. I awoke early, dressed hastily, and went down to breakfast. + +133. Aha! I have caught you! + +134. This string is too short! + +135. Oh, dear! the wind has blown my hat away! + +136. Alas! that news is sad indeed! + +137. Whew! that cold wind freezes my nose! + +138. Are you warm enough now? + +139. They heard the warning too late. + +140. We are a brave people, and love our country. + +141. All the children came except Mary. + +142. Jack seized a handful of pebbles and threw them into the lake. + +143. This cottage stood on a low hill, at some distance from the village. + +144. On a fine summer evening, the two old people were sitting outside the door + of their cottage. + +145. Our bird's name is Jacko. + +146. The river knows the way to the sea. + +147. The boat sails away, like a bird on the wing. + +148. They looked cautiously about, but saw nothing. + +149. The little house had three rooms, a sitting room, a bedroom, and a tiny + kitchen. + +150. We visited my uncle's village, the largest village in the world. + +151. We learn something new each day. + +152. The market begins five minutes earlier this week. + +153. Did you find the distance too great? + +154. Hurry, children. + +155. Madam, I will obey your command. + +156. Here under this tree they gave their guests a splendid feast. + +157. In winter I get up at night, and dress by yellow candlelight. + +158. Tell the last part of that story again. + +159. Be quick or you will be too late. + +160. Will you go with us or wait here? + +161. She was always, shabby, often ragged, and on cold days very uncomfortable. + +162. Think first and then act. + +163. I stood, a little mite of a girl, upon a chair by the window, and watched + the falling snowflakes. + +164. Show the guests these shells, my son, and tell them their strange history. + +165. Be satisfied with nothing but your best. + +166. We consider them our faithful friends. + +167. We will make this place our home. + +168. The squirrels make their nests warm and snug with soft moss and leaves. + +169. The little girl made the doll's dress herself. + +170. I hurt myself. + +171. She was talking to herself. + +172. He proved himself trustworthy. + +173. We could see ourselves in the water. + +174. Do it yourself. + +175. I feel ashamed of myself. + +176. Sit here by yourself. + +177. The dress of the little princess was embroidered with roses, the national + flower of the Country. + +178. They wore red caps, the symbol of liberty. + +179. With him as our protector, we fear no danger. + +180. All her finery, lace, ribbons, and feathers, was packed away in a trunk. + +181. Light he thought her, like a feather. + +182. Every spring and fall our cousins pay us a long visit. + +183. In our climate the grass remains green all winter. + +184. The boy who brought the book has gone. + +185. These are the flowers that you ordered. + +186. I have lost the book that you gave me. + +187. The fisherman who owned the boat now demanded payment. + +188. Come when you are called. + +189. I shall stay at home if it rains. + +190. When he saw me, he stopped. + +191. Do not laugh at me because I seem so absent minded. + +192. I shall lend you the books that you need. + +193. Come early next Monday if you can. + +194. If you come early, wait in the hall. + +195. I had a younger brother whose name was Antonio. + +196. Gnomes are little men who live under the ground. + +197. He is loved by everybody, because he has a gentle disposition. + +198. Hold the horse while I run and get my cap. + +199. I have found the ring I lost. + +200. Play and I will sing. + +201. That is the funniest story I ever heard. + +202. She is taller than her brother. + +203. They are no wiser than we. + +204. Light travels faster than sound. + +205. We have more time than they. + +206. She has more friends than enemies. + +207. He was very poor, and with his wife and five children lived in a little low + cabin of logs and stones. + +208. When the wind blew, the traveler wrapped his mantle more closely around + him. + +209. I am sure that we can go. + +210. We went back to the place where we saw the roses. + +211. "This tree is fifty feet high," said the gardener. + +212. I think that this train leaves five minutes earlier today. + +213. My opinion is that the governor will grant him a pardon. + +214. Why he has left the city is a mystery. + +215. The house stands where three roads meet. + +216. He has far more money than brains. + +217. Evidently that gate is never opened, for the long grass and the great + hemlocks grow close against it. + +218. I met a little cottage girl; she was eight years old, she said.