Exam question 1 · Aesop's Fables, The Cat and the Birds: a cat disguised as…

Which of the following statements is correctly attributed to the Spendthrift in the fable concerning the Swallow?

Mova's choice: option 2 · The right answer: option 3 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: fable · What happens: follow, attribute, concern · To what, where: Swallow

This is exam question 1 of lesson 134 «Aesop's Fables, The Cat and the Birds: a cat disguised as a doctor is turned away, and eight more short fables follow» of the books course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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.

The question

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	8 attributed	obj
2	of	of	ADP	_	5 statements	case
3	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	5 statements	det
4	following	follow	VERB	VerbForm=Ger	5 statements	amod
5	statements	statement	NOUN	Number=Plur	1 Which	nmod
6	is	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin	8 attributed	aux:pass
7	correctly	correctly	ADV	_	8 attributed	advmod
8	attributed	attribute	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	root	root
9	to	to	ADP	_	11 Spendthrift	case
10	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	11 Spendthrift	det
11	Spendthrift	spendthrift	NOUN	Number=Sing	8 attributed	obl
12	in	in	ADP	_	14 fable	case
13	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	14 fable	det
14	fable	fable	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 Spendthrift	nmod
15	concerning	concern	VERB	VerbForm=Ger	14 fable	acl
16	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	17 Swallow	det
17	Swallow	swallow	NOUN	Number=Sing	15 concerning	obj
18	?	?	PUNCT	_	8 attributed	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	other	roles by
1	follow	gerund				vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme
2	attribute	present · passive			to the Spendthrift in the fable; correctly property	tree rules
3	concern	gerund	the fable not said here	the Swallow		vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus swallow=Experiencer

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.

The options

Option 1

He claimed the Swallow had flown south and left him alone in the cold weather

The tree, 15 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 claimed	nsubj
2	claimed	claim	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	4 Swallow	det
4	Swallow	Swallow	PROPN	Number=Sing	6 flown	nsubj:pass
5	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	6 flown	aux
6	flown	fly	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 claimed	ccomp
7	south	south	ADV	_	6 flown	advmod
8	and	and	CCONJ	_	9 left	cc
9	left	leave	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 claimed	conj
10	him	he	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	9 left	obj
11	alone	alone	ADV	_	9 left	advmod
12	in	in	ADP	_	15 weather	case
13	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	15 weather	det
14	cold	cold	ADJ	Degree=Pos	15 weather	amod
15	weather	weather	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 left	obl

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	claim speech: other	past	He				vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic
2	fly	past · perfect · passive		the Swallow		south property	vn spatial_configuration-47.6-1 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme
3	leave	past	He not said here	him = he	the cold weather	alone property	vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent he=Theme in weather=Location

Option 2 · ← Mova's choice

He stated that the Swallow's death had caused his own suffering from cold, and that the frost had killed his sheep in the fields as well

The tree, 27 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 stated	nsubj
2	stated	state	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	that	that	SCONJ	_	9 caused	mark
4	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	5 Swallow	det
5	Swallow	Swallow	PROPN	Number=Sing	7 death	nmod:poss
6	's	's	PART	_	5 Swallow	case
7	death	death	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 caused	nsubj:pass
8	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	9 caused	aux
9	caused	cause	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 stated	ccomp
10	his	his	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	12 suffering	nmod:poss
11	own	own	ADJ	Degree=Pos	12 suffering	amod
12	suffering	suffering	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 caused	obj
13	from	from	ADP	_	14 cold	case
14	cold	cold	ADJ	Degree=Pos	9 caused	obl
15	,	,	PUNCT	_	21 killed	punct
16	and	and	CCONJ	_	21 killed	cc
17	that	that	SCONJ	_	21 killed	mark
18	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	19 frost	det
19	frost	frost	NOUN	Number=Sing	21 killed	nsubj:pass
20	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	21 killed	aux
21	killed	kill	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 stated	conj
22	his	his	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	23 sheep	nmod:poss
23	sheep	sheep	NOUN	Number=Plur	21 killed	obj
24	in	in	ADP	_	26 fields	case
25	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	26 fields	det
26	fields	field	NOUN	Number=Plur	21 killed	obl
27	as	as	ADV	ExtPos=ADV	21 killed	advmod
28	well	well	ADV	Degree=Pos	27 as	fixed

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	roles by
1	state speech: other	past	He			vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic
2	cause	past · perfect · passive		the Swallow's death	cold	vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V S»: subject=Theme suffering=Eventuality
3	kill	past · perfect · passive		the frost	the fields	vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Experiencer sheep=Result
4	die		the Swallow			nom death «event intransitive»: poss=agent
5	suffer		his = he			nom suffering «state intransitive»: poss=agent

Option 3 · ✓ the right answer

He stated that the Swallow's death had caused his own suffering from cold

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 stated	nsubj
2	stated	state	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	that	that	SCONJ	_	9 caused	mark
4	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	5 Swallow	det
5	Swallow	Swallow	PROPN	Number=Sing	7 death	nmod:poss
6	's	's	PART	_	5 Swallow	case
7	death	death	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 caused	nsubj:pass
8	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	9 caused	aux
9	caused	cause	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 stated	ccomp
10	his	his	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	12 suffering	nmod:poss
11	own	own	ADJ	Degree=Pos	12 suffering	amod
12	suffering	suffering	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 caused	obj
13	from	from	ADP	_	14 cold	case
14	cold	cold	ADJ	Degree=Pos	9 caused	obl

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	roles by
1	state speech: other	past	He			vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic
2	cause	past · perfect · passive		the Swallow's death	cold	vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V S»: subject=Theme suffering=Eventuality
3	die		the Swallow			nom death «event intransitive»: poss=agent
4	suffer		his = he			nom suffering «state intransitive»: poss=agent

Option 4

He stated that the Swallow's death had caused his own suffering from cold, and that he would never sell his coat again in any season soon

The tree, 27 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 stated	nsubj
2	stated	state	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	that	that	SCONJ	_	9 caused	mark
4	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	5 Swallow	det
5	Swallow	Swallow	PROPN	Number=Sing	7 death	nmod:poss
6	's	's	PART	_	5 Swallow	case
7	death	death	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 caused	nsubj:pass
8	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	9 caused	aux
9	caused	cause	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 stated	ccomp
10	his	his	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	12 suffering	nmod:poss
11	own	own	ADJ	Degree=Pos	12 suffering	amod
12	suffering	suffering	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 caused	obj
13	from	from	ADP	_	14 cold	case
14	cold	cold	ADJ	Degree=Pos	9 caused	obl
15	,	,	PUNCT	_	21 sell	punct
16	and	and	CCONJ	_	21 sell	cc
17	that	that	SCONJ	_	21 sell	mark
18	he	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	21 sell	nsubj
19	would	would	AUX	VerbForm=Fin	21 sell	aux
20	never	never	ADV	PronType=Neg	21 sell	advmod
21	sell	sell	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	2 stated	conj
22	his	his	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	23 coat	nmod:poss
23	coat	coat	NOUN	Number=Sing	21 sell	obj
24	again	again	ADV	_	21 sell	advmod
25	in	in	ADP	_	27 season	case
26	any	any	DET	PronType=Ind	27 season	det
27	season	season	NOUN	Number=Sing	21 sell	obl
28	soon	soon	ADV	Degree=Pos	21 sell	advmod

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	state speech: other	past	He					vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic
2	cause	past · perfect · passive		the Swallow's death	cold			vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V S»: subject=Theme suffering=Eventuality
3	not sell	would	he	his coat		again; season	soon property	vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent coat=Theme
4	die		the Swallow					nom death «event intransitive»: poss=agent
5	suffer		his = he					nom suffering «state intransitive»: poss=agent

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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