---
title: «my cat sits staring at a mousehole for ages and gets nothing, he's… — How real cats hunt: stalking, waiting… · tree and pragmatics
description: «my cat sits staring at a mousehole for ages and gets nothing, he's useless» What is right? Test 1 · ★★ of lesson 119 «How real cats hunt: stalking, waiting and pouncing» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova'
---

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# Test 1 · ★★ · How real cats hunt: stalking, waiting and pouncing

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«my cat sits staring at a mousehole for ages and gets nothing, he's useless» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** cat · **What happens:** sit, stare, get, be · **To what, where:** nothing · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 119 «How real cats hunt: stalking, waiting and pouncing» of the biology 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/biology/119-how-real-cats-hunt/#t1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:119-how-real-cats-hunt:t1:1
# text = «my cat sits staring at a mousehole for ages and gets nothing, he's useless» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	sits	sit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	staring	stare	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	mousehole	mousehole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	ages	age	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	gets	get	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
13	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
15	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	cop	_	_
17	useless	useless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
19	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	21	nsubj	_	_
20	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	cop	_	_
21	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sit** *in a quote* | present | my cat |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **stare** *in a quote* | gerund | my cat *not said here* |  |  |  | for ages | at a mousehole | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at mousehole=Theme |
| 3 | **get** *in a quote* | present | my cat *not said here* | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer nothing=Stimulus |
| 4 | **is** *in a quote* | present | cat |  |  |  |  | useless *property* | tree rules |
| 5 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Cats are not hunters at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:119-how-real-cats-hunt:t1:o1:1
# text = Cats are not hunters at all
1	Cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	hunters	hunter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is a** | present | Cats | hunters |  | all |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Real cats catch a mouse every time, so he must be ill or very lazy

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:119-how-real-cats-hunt:t1:o2:1
# text = Real cats catch a mouse every time, so he must be ill or very lazy
1	Real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	catch	catch	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
11	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
12	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	cop	_	_
13	ill	ill	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	_
14	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	very	very	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
16	lazy	lazy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **catch** | present | Real cats | a mouse |  |  | time |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mouse=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | must | mouse |  |  |  |  | ill *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  | mouse *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sit-and-wait hunters often wait a long time and catch nothing, even wild cats

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:119-how-real-cats-hunt:t1:o3:1
# text = Sit-and-wait hunters often wait a long time and catch nothing, even wild cats
1	Sit	sit	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	wait	wait	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	hunters	hunter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	often	often	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	wait	wait	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl:unmarked	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	catch	catch	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
14	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	even	even	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
17	wild	wild	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sit** | imperative | you *not said here* | wild cats |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **wait** | present | wait hunters |  |  |  | time | often *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **catch** | present | wait hunters *not said here* | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Theme |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is waiting for cheese to come out of the hole, not for a mouse

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:119-how-real-cats-hunt:t1:o4:1
# text = He is waiting for cheese to come out of the hole, not for a mouse
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	waiting	wait	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	cheese	cheese	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
8	out	out	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	hole	hole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
14	for	for	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** | present · progressive | He |  |  |  |  | for cheese; for a mouse | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **come out** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | the hole |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Patient hole=Result |

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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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