---
title: Account for the reason the Fox in the hollow tree was unable to with… — Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9… · tree and pragmatics
description: Account for the reason the Fox in the hollow tree was unable to withdraw, as described in the text. Exam question 3 of lesson 139 «Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9: a run of short animal tales, each ending with a lesson» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree an
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/139-pg11339-part9/e3/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/) / [Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/139-pg11339-part9/) / e3

# Exam question 3 · Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9: a run of short ani…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Account for the reason the Fox in the hollow tree was unable to withdraw, as described in the text.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Fox · **What happens:** be, withdraw, describe · **To what, where:** reason, text

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 139 «Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9: a run of short animal tales, each ending with a lesson» 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/139-pg11339-part9/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:139-pg11339-part9:e3:1
# text = Account for the reason the Fox in the hollow tree was unable to withdraw, as described in the text.
1	Account	account	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	Fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	hollow	hollow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
11	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	unable	unable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	acl:relcl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	withdraw	withdraw	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
17	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	advcl	_	_
18	in	in	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	text	text	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the Fox in the hollow tree | the reason *not said here* |  |  |  | unable *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **withdraw** | to-infinitive | the Fox in the hollow tree *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **describe** | participle | the Fox in the hollow tree *not said here* |  |  | the text |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 -->
He was too weak to move.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:139-pg11339-part9:e3:o1:1
# text = He was too weak to move.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	too	too	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	weak	weak	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	move	move	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | He |  |  |  |  | weak *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **move** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had grown too thin from long hunger.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:139-pg11339-part9:e3:o2:1
# text = He had grown too thin from long hunger.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	grown	grow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	too	too	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	thin	thin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	hunger	hunger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | past · perfect | He |  |  |  |  | thin *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had swollen after consuming the food he had devoured

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:139-pg11339-part9:e3:o3:1
# text = He had swollen after consuming the food he had devoured
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	swollen	swell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	consuming	consume	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	devoured	devour	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	7	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swell** | past · perfect · passive |  | He |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.patient V NP.extent PP.source PP.goal»: subject=Extent |
| 2 | **consume** | gerund |  | the food |  |  |  |  | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent food=Asset |
| 3 | **devour** | past · perfect | he | the food *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn devour-39.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent food=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tree had shrunk around him after the long winter months.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:139-pg11339-part9:e3:o4:1
# text = The tree had shrunk around him after the long winter months.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	shrunk	shrink	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	around	around	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obl	_	_
7	after	after	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
9	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	months	month	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shrink** | past · perfect | the tree |  |  |  | month | around him *= he* | vn bend-45.2 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/139-pg11339-part9/e2/)
- next →: [Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/139-pg11339-part9/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Aesop's Fables, The Quack Frog, part 9: a run of short animal tales, each ending with a lesson](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/139-pg11339-part9/)