---
title: "Do cats eat bats? Do bats eat cats?" Why did the order of the words… — Alice in Wonderland, chapter I, part 1… · tree and pragmatics
description: "Do cats eat bats? Do bats eat cats?" Why did the order of the words not matter to Alice? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 1 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter I, part 1: Down the Rabbit-Hole (the fall)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Alice in Wonderland, chapter I, part 1: Down the Rabbit-Ho…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Do cats eat bats? Do bats eat cats?" Why did the order of the words not matter to Alice?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cats, bats, order · **What happens:** eat, not matter, order · **To what, where:** bats, cats, Alice, words

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 1 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter I, part 1: Down the Rabbit-Hole (the fall)» of the books 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/books/1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* "Do cats eat bats?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:1
# text = "Do cats eat bats?
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Do	do	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
3	cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	bats	bat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** *in a quote* | infinitive · do-support | cats | bats |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bat=Patient |

<!-- .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:* Do bats eat cats?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:2
# text = Do bats eat cats?"
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	aux	_	_
2	bats	bat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	cats	cat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | infinitive · do-support | bats | cats |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cat=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Why did the order of the words not matter to Alice?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:3
# text = Why did the order of the words not matter to Alice?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
8	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **matter** | past · do-support | the order of the words |  | Alice |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V PP.experiencer»: agent=Stimulus to alice=Experiencer |
| 2 | **order** |  |  | the words |  |  |  |  | nom order «communication transitive»: of=patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because the two questions were asked by the same person and she did not wish to answer anything at all now

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:o1:1
# text = Because the two questions were asked by the same person and she did not wish to answer anything at all now
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nummod	_	_
4	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	asked	ask	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
12	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
13	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	wish	wish	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	answer	answer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	xcomp	_	_
18	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	17	obj	_	_
19	at	at	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	18	nmod	_	_
21	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	17	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | past · passive | the same person | the two questions |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent subject=Recipient |
| 2 | **not** **wish** | past · do-support | person |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **answer** *speech: assert* *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | person *not said here* | anything |  | all | now |  | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent anything=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She thought both answers were the same

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:o2:1
# text = She thought both answers were the same
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	answers	answer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
5	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | past | She |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | both answers |  |  |  |  | same *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because she did not care about either

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:o3:1
# text = Because she did not care about either
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	care	care	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	obl	_	_
7	either	either	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **care** | past · do-support | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn care-88.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She could not answer either question

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole:t9:o4:1
# text = She could not answer either question
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	answer	answer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	either	either	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
6	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **answer** *speech: assert* | could | She | either question |  |  |  |  | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent question=Eventuality |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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