---
title: In a cartoon a dog is happy every time its tail wags. What is true o… — Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growl… · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon a dog is happy every time its tail wags. What is true of real dogs? Test 6 · ★ of lesson 194 «Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growls and staying safe» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choi
---

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# Test 6 · ★ · Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growls and staying safe

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon a dog is happy every time its tail wags. What is true of real dogs?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** dog, tail · **What happens:** be, wag · **To what, where:** cartoon, time

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★ of lesson 194 «Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growls and staying safe» 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/194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon a dog is happy every time its tail wags.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe:t6:1
# text = In a cartoon a dog is happy every time its tail wags.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
8	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	9	det	_	_
9	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl:unmarked	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	wags	wag	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a dog |  |  | a cartoon | time | happy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **wag** | present | dog's tail | every time *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent time=Patient |

<!-- .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 true of real dogs?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe:t6:2
# text = What is true of real dogs?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | of real dogs; true *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wagging always means anger and a bite coming soon

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe:t6:o1:1
# text = Wagging always means anger and a bite coming soon
1	Wagging	wag	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	nsubj	_	_
2	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	3	advmod	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	anger	anger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	bite	bite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
8	coming	come	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	parataxis	_	_
9	soon	soon	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wag** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  | anger and a bite |  |  |  | always *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anger=Topic |
| 3 | **come** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | soon *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Every single wag is happy, just like in the cartoons

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe:t6:o2:1
# text = Every single wag is happy, just like in the cartoons
1	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	det	_	_
2	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	wag	wag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	just	just	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	cartoons	cartoon	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | every single wag |  |  |  |  | like the cartoons; happy *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Real dogs never wag their tails

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe:t6:o3:1
# text = Real dogs never wag their tails
1	Real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	wag	wag	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	tails	tail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **wag** | present | Real dogs | dogs's tails |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tail=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A wag can mean happy, tense or unsure, so read the whole dog

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe:t6:o4:1
# text = A wag can mean happy, tense or unsure, so read the whole dog
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	wag	wag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	tense	tense	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	unsure	unsure	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	so	so	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	read	read	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | can | a wag |  |  |  |  | happy *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **read** | infinitive |  | the whole dog |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dog=Topic |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growl…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe/t5/)
- next →: [Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growl…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe/t7/)
- ↑ back to [Reading a dog: tails, play bows, growls and staying safe](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/194-reading-a-dog-tails-play-bows-growls-and-staying-safe/)