---
title: A donkey keeps rolling in the same sandy patch, and its friends take… — Shrek's Donkey: real donkeys and mules · tree and pragmatics
description: A donkey keeps rolling in the same sandy patch, and its friends take turns after it. What is it doing? Test 11 of lesson 145 «Shrek's Donkey: real donkeys and mules» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's cho
---

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# Test 11 · Shrek's Donkey: real donkeys and mules

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A donkey keeps rolling in the same sandy patch, and its friends take turns after it. What is it doing?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** donkey, friends · **What happens:** keep, roll, take, do · **To what, where:** same sandy patch, turns

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This is test 11 of lesson 145 «Shrek's Donkey: real donkeys and mules» 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/145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules/#t11).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A donkey keeps rolling in the same sandy patch, and its friends take turns after it.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules:t11:1
# text = A donkey keeps rolling in the same sandy patch, and its friends take turns after it.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	keeps	keep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	rolling	roll	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
7	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
8	sandy	sandy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	patch	patch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
14	take	take	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
15	turns	turn	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
16	after	after	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | present | a donkey |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **roll** | gerund | a donkey *not said here* |  |  | the same sandy patch |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in patch=Trajectory |
| 3 | **take** | present | donkey's friends | turns |  |  | after donkey |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent turn=Theme |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is it doing?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules:t11:2
# text = What is it doing?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	doing	do	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present · progressive | donkey |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Cleaning its coat, scratching itches and keeping flies off

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules:t11:o1:1
# text = Cleaning its coat, scratching itches and keeping flies off
1	Cleaning	clean	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	csubj	_	_
2	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	coat	coat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	scratching	scratch	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	conj	_	_
6	itches	itch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	keeping	keep	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
9	flies	fly	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	off	off	ADP	RP	_	9	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clean** | gerund |  | its coat |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent coat=Patient |
| 2 | **scratch** | gerund |  | itches |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent itch=Theme |
| 3 | **keep** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **fly off** | present | Cleaning |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Making a bed to sleep in

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules:t11:o2:1
# text = Making a bed to sleep in
1	Making	make	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	bed	bed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	sleep	sleep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | gerund |  | a bed |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset bed=Product |
| 2 | **sleep in** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Looking for a lost hoof

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules:t11:o3:1
# text = Looking for a lost hoof
1	Looking	look	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	amod	_	_
5	hoof	hoof	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | for a lost hoof | vn rummage-35.5 «NP V PP.location PP.theme»: agent=Agent for hoof=Theme |
| 2 | **lose** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Trying to dig a hole down to find water hidden under the ground

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules:t11:o4:1
# text = Trying to dig a hole down to find water hidden under the ground
1	Trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	dig	dig	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	xcomp	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	hole	hole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	down	down	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
10	hidden	hide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
11	under	under	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **dig down** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | a hole |  |  |  | down *property* | vn poke-19-1-1-1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent hole=Theme |
| 3 | **find** | to-infinitive |  | water |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Topic |
| 4 | **hide** | participle |  | water *not said here* |  | the ground |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent under ground=Location |

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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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