---
title: State the occupation of the owner of the Ass, as described in the pa… — Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Burden… · tree and pragmatics
description: State the occupation of the owner of the Ass, as described in the passage. Exam question 1 of lesson 137 «Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Burdens: a clever donkey tries to cheat his master with salt and sponges» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of
---

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# Exam question 1 · Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Burdens: a clever donkey t…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
State the occupation of the owner of the Ass, as described in the passage.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** state, describe, occupy · **To what, where:** occupation, passage, owner

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 137 «Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Burdens: a clever donkey tries to cheat his master with salt and sponges» of the books course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/137-pg11339-part7/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:137-pg11339-part7:e1:1
# text = State the occupation of the owner of the Ass, as described in the passage.
1	State	state	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	occupation	occupation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	owner	owner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Ass	ass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	parataxis	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	passage	passage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **state** *speech: other* | imperative | you *not said here* | the occupation of the owner of the Ass |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent occupation=Topic |
| 2 | **describe** | participle |  |  |  | the passage |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **occupy** |  |  | the owner of the Ass |  |  |  |  | nom occupation «act transitive»: of=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Pedlar, a seller of goods who lived in the town and rode a donkey to market each day

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:137-pg11339-part7:e1:o1:1
# text = A Pedlar, a seller of goods who lived in the town and rode a donkey to market each day
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	seller	seller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	goods	goods	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	5	nmod	_	_
8	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
9	lived	live	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	rode	ride	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	market	market	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	xcomp	_	_
19	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	20	det	_	_
20	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **live** | past | goods |  |  | the town |  |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in town=Location |
| 2 | **ride** | past | goods *not said here* | a donkey |  |  | day |  | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent donkey=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Pedlar, a travelling seller of goods who walked from village to village with a donkey

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:137-pg11339-part7:e1:o2:1
# text = A Pedlar, a travelling seller of goods who walked from village to village with a donkey
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	seller	seller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	goods	goods	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	6	nmod	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	walked	walk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
11	from	from	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	village	village	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	village	village	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travel** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **walk** | past | a travelling seller of goods |  |  | village |  | to village *result*; with a donkey | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme to village=Result |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Pedlar, a travelling buyer of goods

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:137-pg11339-part7:e1:o3:1
# text = A Pedlar, a travelling buyer of goods
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	buyer	buyer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	goods	goods	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travel** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Pedlar, a travelling seller of goods

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:137-pg11339-part7:e1:o4:1
# text = A Pedlar, a travelling seller of goods
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	seller	seller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	goods	goods	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travel** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Burden…, test 13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/137-pg11339-part7/t13/)
- next →: [Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Burden…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/137-pg11339-part7/e2/)
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