---
title: «why did old miners take a little yellow bird down the pit» What is… — Budgies and canaries · tree and pragmatics
description: «why did old miners take a little yellow bird down the pit» What is the answer? Test 12 · ★ of lesson 205 «Budgies and canaries» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 12 · ★ · Budgies and canaries

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why did old miners take a little yellow bird down the pit» What is the answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** old miners · **What happens:** do, take, be · **To what, where:** little yellow bird, answer · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 12 · ★ of lesson 205 «Budgies and canaries» 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/205-budgies-and-canaries/#t12).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:205-budgies-and-canaries:t12:1
# text = «why did old miners take a little yellow bird down the pit» What is the answer?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	advmod	_	_
3	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	18	csubj	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	miners	miner	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	take	take	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
9	yellow	yellow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
11	down	down	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	pit	pit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
15	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	18	nsubj	_	_
16	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	18	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** *in a quote* | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **take** *in a quote* | present | old miners |  | a little yellow bird |  |  | down the pit | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Instrument bird=Destination |
| 3 | **be** *speech: assert* | present |  | the answer |  |  |  |  | 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 -->
It sang to keep them awake

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:205-budgies-and-canaries:t12:o1:1
# text = It sang to keep them awake
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sang	sing	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sing** *speech: express* | past | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **keep** | to-infinitive |  | them *= they* |  |  |  | awake *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It ate the rats

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:205-budgies-and-canaries:t12:o2:1
# text = It ate the rats
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | past | It | the rats |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rat=Patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was harmed by bad gas before people noticed it, so it warned them

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:205-budgies-and-canaries:t12:o3:1
# text = It was harmed by bad gas before people noticed it, so it warned them
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	harmed	harm	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
9	noticed	notice	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	warned	warn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
15	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **harm** | past · passive | bad gas | It |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus subject=Experiencer |
| 2 | **notice** | past | people | gas |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer it=Stimulus |
| 3 | **warn** *speech: warn* | past | gas |  | people |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent they=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It found coal for them by tapping on the rock walls with its little beak

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:205-budgies-and-canaries:t12:o4:1
# text = It found coal for them by tapping on the rock walls with its little beak
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	coal	coal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obl	_	_
6	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
7	tapping	tap	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	walls	wall	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
12	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
14	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	beak	beak	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | It | coal |  |  |  | for them *= they* | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent coal=Theme for they=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **tap** | gerund |  |  |  | the rock walls |  | with coal's little beak | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V PP PP»: agent=Agent with beak=Instrument |

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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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