---
title: «why'd they pay the farmer, the wolf ate his sheep not them» What is… — Wolves in Yellowstone, beavers in Brit… · tree and pragmatics
description: «why'd they pay the farmer, the wolf ate his sheep not them» What is the reason? Test 12 · ★ of lesson 283 «Wolves in Yellowstone, beavers in Britain and bringing nature back» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; 
---

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# Test 12 · ★ · Wolves in Yellowstone, beavers in Britain and bringing nat…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why'd they pay the farmer, the wolf ate his sheep not them» What is the reason?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** they, wolf · **What happens:** pay, eat, be · **To what, where:** farmer, sheep, reason

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This is test 12 · ★ of lesson 283 «Wolves in Yellowstone, beavers in Britain and bringing nature back» 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/283-wolves-in-yellowstone-beavers-in-britain-and-bringing-nature-back/#t12).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:283-wolves-in-yellowstone-beavers-in-britain-and-bringing-nature-back:t12:1
# text = «why'd they pay the farmer, the wolf ate his sheep not them» What is the reason?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	'd	'd	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	pay	pay	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	advcl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	wolf	wolf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	sheep	sheep	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
17	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	11	obj	_	_
18	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	cop	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pay** *in a quote* | present | they | the farmer |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent farmer=Asset |
| 2 | **eat** *in a quote* | past | the wolf | wolf's sheep |  |  |  | sheep *obl* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | present |  | the reason |  |  |  |  | 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 is a reward for every wolf the farmer shoots on his land

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:283-wolves-in-yellowstone-beavers-in-britain-and-bringing-nature-back:t12:o1:1
# text = It is a reward for every wolf the farmer shoots on his land
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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	reward	reward	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	wolf	wolf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	shoots	shoot	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	land	land	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a reward |  |  |  | for every wolf | tree rules |
| 2 | **shoot** | present | the farmer | a reward *not said here* |  | farmer's land |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent reward=Theme on land=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The farmer sold the sheep to the wolf

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:283-wolves-in-yellowstone-beavers-in-britain-and-bringing-nature-back:t12:o2:1
# text = The farmer sold the sheep to the wolf
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sold	sell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	sheep	sheep	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	wolf	wolf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sell** | past | the farmer | the sheep | the wolf |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent sheep=Theme to wolf=Recipient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Farmers are paid to feed wolves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:283-wolves-in-yellowstone-beavers-in-britain-and-bringing-nature-back:t12:o3:1
# text = Farmers are paid to feed wolves
1	Farmers	farmer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	paid	pay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	feed	feed	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
6	wolves	wolf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pay** | present · passive |  | Farmers |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Asset |
| 2 | **feed** | to-infinitive |  | wolves |  |  |  |  | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wolf=Recipient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fair rules help farmers and wild animals live side by side

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:283-wolves-in-yellowstone-beavers-in-britain-and-bringing-nature-back:t12:o4:1
# text = Fair rules help farmers and wild animals live side by side
1	Fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	help	help	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	farmers	farmer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	wild	wild	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	conj	_	_
8	live	live	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
9	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl:unmarked	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present | Fair rules |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **live** | present | farmers and wild animals | side |  |  |  | by side | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme by side=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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