---
title: A cat purrs loudly at the vet with a hurt paw. What could the purr m… — How animals talk · tree and pragmatics
description: A cat purrs loudly at the vet with a hurt paw. What could the purr mean? Test 11 · ★★★ of lesson 50 «How animals talk» 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 11 · ★★★ · How animals talk

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cat purrs loudly at the vet with a hurt paw. What could the purr mean?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cat, purr · **What happens:** purr, mean · **To what, where:** vet

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 11 · ★★★ of lesson 50 «How animals talk» 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/50-how-animals-talk/#t11).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cat purrs loudly at the vet with a hurt paw.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t11:1
# text = A cat purrs loudly at the vet with a hurt paw.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	purrs	purr	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	loudly	loudly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	vet	vet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	hurt	hurt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	paw	paw	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **purr** | present | a cat |  |  | the vet with a hurt paw |  | loudly *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at vet=Location |

<!-- .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 could the purr mean?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t11:2
# text = What could the purr mean?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	purr	purr	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | could | the purr |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Purring heals any wound instantly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t11:o1:1
# text = Purring heals any wound instantly
1	Purring	purr	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	nsubj	_	_
2	heals	heal	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	4	det	_	_
4	wound	wound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	instantly	instantly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **purr** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **heal** | present |  | any wound |  |  |  | instantly *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent wound=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It means the paw does not hurt at all and the cat is perfectly happy

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t11:o2:1
# text = It means the paw does not hurt at all and the cat is perfectly happy
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	paw	paw	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
6	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	hurt	hurt	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
13	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
14	perfectly	perfectly	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **hurt** | present · do-support | the paw |  |  | all |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **is** | present | the cat |  |  |  |  | happy, perfectly *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Cats sometimes purr when hurt or unwell, not only when happy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t11:o3:1
# text = Cats sometimes purr when hurt or unwell, not only when happy
1	Cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	3	advmod	_	_
3	purr	purr	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
5	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	unwell	unwell	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
10	only	only	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
12	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **purr** | present | Cats |  |  |  |  | sometimes *property* | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **hurt** | participle | Cats *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It means the cat is angry at the vet

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t11:o4:1
# text = It means the cat is angry at the vet
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	angry	angry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	vet	vet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the cat |  |  | the vet |  | angry *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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