---
title: ok but why were the cows all skinny by the end of the day? — Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31:… · tree and pragmatics
description: ok but why were the cows all skinny by the end of the day? Test 7 · ★ of lesson 1125 «Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31: Ivan's millstone scatters robbers, and his magic fife sets a parson dancing into a hedge» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics
---

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# Test 7 · ★ · Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31: Ivan's millstone sc…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
ok but why were the cows all skinny by the end of the day?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** be · **To what, where:** cows

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 1125 «Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31: Ivan's millstone scatters robbers, and his magic fife sets a parson dancing into a hedge» 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/1125-pg29672-part31/#t7).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1125-pg29672-part31:t7:1
# text = ok but why were the cows all skinny by the end of the day?
1	ok	ok	INTJ	UH	_	8	discourse	_	_
2	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
3	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
4	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	cows	cow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	det	_	_
8	skinny	skinny	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the cows |  |  |  |  | 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 -->
They danced so hard they couldn't eat their grass

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1125-pg29672-part31:t7:o1:1
# text = They danced so hard they couldn't eat their grass
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	danced	dance	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	so	so	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	hard	hard	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	2	advmod	_	_
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
6	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	parataxis	_	_
9	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dance** | past | They |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **eat** | could | they | their grass |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent grass=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They danced all day and then Ivan made them run around the whole village again at night until dawn

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1125-pg29672-part31:t7:o2:1
# text = They danced all day and then Ivan made them run around the whole village again at night until dawn
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	danced	dance	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl:unmarked	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	8	advmod	_	_
7	Ivan	Ivan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
9	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	run	run	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	xcomp	_	_
11	around	around	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	village	village	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	again	again	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
18	until	until	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	dawn	dawn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dance** | past | They |  |  |  | day |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **make** | past | Ivan | them *= they* |  |  | then |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **run** | infinitive | them *= they* *not said here* |  |  | the whole village | again; dawn; night |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme around village=Trajectory |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The parson had stolen their grass for his own horses and left them with nothing to eat at all

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1125-pg29672-part31:t7:o3:1
# text = The parson had stolen their grass for his own horses and left them with nothing to eat at all
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	parson	parson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	stolen	steal	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
9	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	left	leave	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
13	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
14	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	12	obl	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	acl	_	_
18	at	at	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	17	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **steal** | past · perfect · passive |  | the parson |  |  |  | for parson's own horses | vn steal-10.5-1 «NP V NP NP»: subject=Beneficiary grass=Theme |
| 2 | **leave** | past |  | horses *= horse* |  |  |  | with nothing | vn fulfilling-13.4.1 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP.theme»: agent=Agent they=Recipient with nothing=Theme |
| 3 | **eat** | to-infinitive |  |  |  | all |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ivan forgot to take them out to the field

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1125-pg29672-part31:t7:o4:1
# text = Ivan forgot to take them out to the field
1	Ivan	Ivan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	forgot	forget	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	out	out	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	field	field	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **forget** | past | Ivan |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **take out** | to-infinitive | Ivan *not said here* | them *= they* |  |  |  | to the field | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |

<!-- 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 -->

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- ← previous: [Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31:…, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1125-pg29672-part31/t6/)
- next →: [Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31:…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1125-pg29672-part31/t8/)
- ↑ back to [Russian Tales, Ivan the Fool, part 31: Ivan's millstone scatters robbers, and his magic fife sets a parson dancing into a hedge](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1125-pg29672-part31/)