---
title: «why'd they reward Alex with the thing he named, lol spoilt bird» Wh… — How scientists test animal minds: the… · tree and pragmatics
description: «why'd they reward Alex with the thing he named, lol spoilt bird» What is the best reason? Test 7 · ★★★ of lesson 389 «How scientists test animal minds: the mirror test, puzzle boxes and Clever Hans» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the quest
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans/t7/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/) / [How scientists test animal minds: the…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans/) / t7

# Test 7 · ★★★ · How scientists test animal minds: the mirror test, puzzle…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why'd they reward Alex with the thing he named, lol spoilt bird» What is the best reason?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** they, Alex · **What happens:** reward, name, be · **To what, where:** Alex, thing, best reason · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★★ of lesson 389 «How scientists test animal minds: the mirror test, puzzle boxes and Clever Hans» 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/389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans/#t7).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans:t7:1
# text = «why'd they reward Alex with the thing he named, lol spoilt bird» What is the best reason?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	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	reward	reward	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	Alex	Alex	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	named	name	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	lol	lol	INTJ	UH	_	15	discourse	_	_
14	spoilt	spoilt	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
17	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	21	nsubj	_	_
18	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	cop	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
20	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	21	amod	_	_
21	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reward** *in a quote* | present | they | Alex |  |  |  | with the thing; spoilt bird *obl* | tree rules |
| 2 | **name** *in a quote* | past | Alex | the thing *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thing=Theme |
| 3 | **is a** | present |  | the best 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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
So the word he said connected with the real thing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans:t7:o1:1
# text = So the word he said connected with the real thing
1	So	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	connected	connect	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **connect** | past · passive |  | the word |  |  |  | with the real thing | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: subject=Patient with thing=Co-Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To make him sleep

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans:t7:o2:1
# text = To make him sleep
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	make	make	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	sleep	sleep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | to-infinitive |  | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **sleep** | infinitive | him *= he* *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To make him stop talking so loudly in the lab

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans:t7:o3:1
# text = To make him stop talking so loudly in the lab
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	stop	stop	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	talking	talk	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	xcomp	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	loudly	loudly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	lab	lab	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset he=Product |
| 2 | **stop** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **talk** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  | the lab |  | loudly *property* | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because parrots eat everything they can name

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans:t7:o4:1
# text = Because parrots eat everything they can name
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
2	parrots	parrot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	eat	eat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
4	everything	everything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	3	obj	_	_
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	name	name	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | present | parrots | everything |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent everything=Patient |
| 2 | **name** | can | parrots *= parrot* |  |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [How scientists test animal minds: the…, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans/t6/)
- next →: [How scientists test animal minds: the…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans/t8/)
- ↑ back to [How scientists test animal minds: the mirror test, puzzle boxes and Clever Hans](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/389-how-scientists-test-animal-minds-the-mirror-test-puzzle-boxes-and-clever-hans/)