---
title: «why's that elephant just standing there with its ears out, it's dea… — How animals talk · tree and pragmatics
description: «why's that elephant just standing there with its ears out, it's deaf or what» What may be going on? Test 5 · ★★★ 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 wrong.
---

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# Test 5 · ★★★ · How animals talk

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why's that elephant just standing there with its ears out, it's deaf or what» What may be going on?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** elephant, it · **What happens:** be, go on · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★★★ 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/#t5).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t5:1
# text = «why's that elephant just standing there with its ears out, it's deaf or what» What may be going on?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	det	_	_
5	elephant	elephant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	just	just	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	standing	stand	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	16	csubj	_	_
8	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	7	advmod	_	_
9	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
12	out	out	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
16	deaf	deaf	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	16	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	_
20	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	23	nsubj	_	_
21	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	23	aux	_	_
22	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	23	aux	_	_
23	going	go	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	18	acl:relcl	_	_
24	on	on	ADP	RP	_	23	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | that elephant |  |  | there |  | with elephant's ears; out, stand *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | it |  |  |  |  | deaf *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **go on** | may · progressive |  |  |  |  |  |  | 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is deaf and just waiting there for the others to come back and help it

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t5:o1:1
# text = It is deaf and just waiting there for the others to come back and help it
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	cop	_	_
3	deaf	deaf	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	waiting	wait	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
7	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	6	advmod	_	_
8	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	others	other	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
13	back	back	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	help	help	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	conj	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | deaf *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **wait** | gerund |  |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **come back** | to-infinitive | the others |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **help** | infinitive | the others *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Beneficiary |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is asleep standing up

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t5:o2:1
# text = It is asleep standing up
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	cop	_	_
3	asleep	asleep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	standing	stand	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
5	up	up	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | asleep *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **stand up** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is cooling its ears only

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t5:o3:1
# text = It is cooling its ears only
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	cooling	cool	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cool** | present · progressive | It | its ears |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent ear=Patient |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It may be listening for deep rumbles from elephants far away

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:50-how-animals-talk:t5:o4:1
# text = It may be listening for deep rumbles from elephants far away
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	listening	listen	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	deep	deep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	rumbles	rumble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	elephants	elephant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
10	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	11	advmod	_	_
11	away	away	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **listen** | may · progressive | It |  |  |  |  | for deep rumbles from elephants; away *property* | vn rummage-35.5 «NP V PP.location PP.theme»: agent=Agent for rumble=Theme |

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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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