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