---
title: Did the thieves want to whack the cock for their scran? — Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Did the thieves want to whack the cock for their scran? Test 4 · ★ of lesson 138 «Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook, part 8: a dog is thrown out of a feast, a vain Monkey is trapped, and more short fables» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of th
---

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# Test 4 · ★ · Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook, part 8: a dog is thr…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Did the thieves want to whack the cock for their scran?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** thieves · **What happens:** want, whack · **To what, where:** cock

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ of lesson 138 «Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook, part 8: a dog is thrown out of a feast, a vain Monkey is trapped, and more short fables» 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/138-pg11339-part8/#t4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:138-pg11339-part8:t4:1
# text = Did the thieves want to whack the cock for their scran?
1	Did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	thieves	thief	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	whack	whack	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cock	cock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	scran	scran	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | the thieves |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **whack** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the thieves *not said here* | the cock |  |  |  | for thieves's scran | vn hit-18.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cock=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, they wanted to wring his neck and cook him up for their supper that night

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:138-pg11339-part8:t4:o1:1
# text = Yeah, they wanted to wring his neck and cook him up for their supper that night
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	wring	wring	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	cook	cook	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
11	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	up	up	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	supper	supper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
16	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	17	det	_	_
17	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | they |  |  |  | night |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **wring** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | they *not said here* | his neck |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent neck=Patient |
| 3 | **cook up** | infinitive | they *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  | for their supper | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent he=Product for supper=Beneficiary |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, they wanted to wring his neck for supper

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:138-pg11339-part8:t4:o2:1
# text = Yeah, they wanted to wring his neck for supper
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	wring	wring	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	supper	supper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **wring** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | they *not said here* | his neck |  |  |  | for supper | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent neck=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nah, they wanted to keep him as a pet and teach him to sing for them

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:138-pg11339-part8:t4:o3:1
# text = Nah, they wanted to keep him as a pet and teach him to sing for them
1	Nah	nah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	pet	pet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	teach	teach	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
13	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	sing	sing	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
16	for	for	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **keep** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | they *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  | as a pet | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 3 | **teach** *speech: other* | present | they *not said here* |  | pet |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent he=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 4 | **sing** *speech: express* | to-infinitive | they *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for them *= they* | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient S\_INF»: agent=Agent for they=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, they wanted to kick him out

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:138-pg11339-part8:t4:o4:1
# text = Yeah, they wanted to kick him out
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	kick	kick	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	out	out	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **kick out** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | they *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn split-23.2 «NP V NP apart»: agent=Agent he=Patient |

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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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- ← previous: [Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook,…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/138-pg11339-part8/t3/)
- next →: [Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook,…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/138-pg11339-part8/t5/)
- ↑ back to [Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Cook, part 8: a dog is thrown out of a feast, a vain Monkey is trapped, and more short fables](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/138-pg11339-part8/)