---
title: «possum on the road, not moving, it's dead innit» What could really… — Raccoons, opossums and skunks · tree and pragmatics
description: «possum on the road, not moving, it's dead innit» What could really be going on? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 224 «Raccoons, opossums and skunks» 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 wrong.
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Raccoons, opossums and skunks

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«possum on the road, not moving, it's dead innit» What could really be going on?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** road, dead innit · **What happens:** not move, be, go on · **To what, where:** dead innit

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 224 «Raccoons, opossums and skunks» 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/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/#t3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks:t3:1
# text = «possum on the road, not moving, it's dead innit» What could really be going on?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	possum	possum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	moving	move	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
12	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	innit	innit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
15	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	19	nsubj	_	_
16	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
17	really	really	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
18	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	19	aux	_	_
19	going	go	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	13	conj	_	_
20	on	on	ADP	RP	_	19	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **move** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | road | dead innit |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **go on** | could · progressive | dead innit |  |  |  |  |  | vn function-105.2.1 «NP V»: agent=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is waiting for a car to give it a lift

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks:t3:o1:1
# text = It is waiting for a car to give it a lift
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|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	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	lift	lift	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** | present · progressive | It |  |  |  |  | for a car | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **give** | to-infinitive |  | car |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent it=Recipient lift=Theme |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It may be playing dead because it is frightened

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks:t3:o2:1
# text = It may be playing dead because it is frightened
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	playing	play	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
6	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	frightened	frighten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **play** | may · progressive | It |  |  |  |  | dead *property* | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **frighten** | present · passive |  | it |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Experiencer |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is digging a hole under the road to hide its babies

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks:t3:o3:1
# text = It is digging a hole under the road to hide its babies
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|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	digging	dig	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	hole	hole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	under	under	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	hide	hide	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
11	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	babies	baby	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dig** | present · progressive | It | a hole |  | the road |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent hole=Theme under road=Location |
| 2 | **hide** | to-infinitive |  | road's babies |  |  |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent baby=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is definitely asleep for the whole winter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks:t3:o4:1
# text = It is definitely asleep for the whole winter
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	definitely	definitely	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	asleep	asleep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  | winter | asleep, definitely *property* | tree rules |

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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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