---
title: In the fable of the Stag, what is the immediate cause of his death a… — Aesop's Fables, The Blacksmith and His… · tree and pragmatics
description: In the fable of the Stag, what is the immediate cause of his death as described in the text? Exam question 2 of lesson 141 «Aesop's Fables, The Blacksmith and His Dog: the lazy dog is fed only when the work stops» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics 
---

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# Exam question 2 · Aesop's Fables, The Blacksmith and His Dog: the lazy dog i…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In the fable of the Stag, what is the immediate cause of his death as described in the text?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** fable, his · **What happens:** be, describe, die · **To what, where:** immediate cause, text

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 141 «Aesop's Fables, The Blacksmith and His Dog: the lazy dog is fed only when the work stops» 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/141-pg11339-part11/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:141-pg11339-part11:e2:1
# text = In the fable of the Stag, what is the immediate cause of his death as described in the text?
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	fable	fable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	Stag	Stag	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	12	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	immediate	immediate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	cause	cause	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
16	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
17	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	acl	_	_
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	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the fable of the Stag and the immediate cause | the immediate cause |  |  |  | of his death | tree rules |
| 2 | **describe** | participle |  | the immediate cause *not said here* |  | the text |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **die** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom death «event intransitive»: poss=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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His antlers became entangled in the branches of a wood, just as the hounds came rushing in

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:141-pg11339-part11:e2:o1:1
# text = His antlers became entangled in the branches of a wood, just as the hounds came rushing in
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	antlers	antler	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	entangled	entangle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	branches	branch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	just	just	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
13	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	hounds	hound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nsubj	_	_
16	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
17	rushing	rush	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	16	xcomp	_	_
18	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **entangle** | past · passive |  | His antlers |  |  |  | in the branches of a wood | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: subject=Destination in branch=Theme |
| 2 | **come** | past | the hounds |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **rush in** | gerund | the hounds *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His antlers became entangled in the low branches of a wood, where the lion then caught him at last

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:141-pg11339-part11:e2:o2:1
# text = His antlers became entangled in the low branches of a wood, where the lion then caught him at last
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	antlers	antler	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	entangled	entangle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	branches	branch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
13	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	17	advmod	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	lion	lion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
16	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	17	advmod	_	_
17	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	acl:relcl	_	_
18	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	obj	_	_
19	at	at	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **entangle** | past · passive |  | His antlers |  |  |  | in the low branches of a wood | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: subject=Destination in branch=Theme |
| 2 | **catch** | past | the lion | him *= he* |  | last | then |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.source NP.asset»: agent=Agent he=Theme at last=Asset |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His antlers became entangled in the branches of a wood

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:141-pg11339-part11:e2:o3:1
# text = His antlers became entangled in the branches of a wood
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	antlers	antler	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	entangled	entangle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	branches	branch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **entangle** | past · passive |  | His antlers |  |  |  | in the branches of a wood | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: subject=Destination in branch=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His legs became tangled in the roots of a tree

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:141-pg11339-part11:e2:o4:1
# text = His legs became tangled in the roots of a tree
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	legs	leg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	tangled	tangle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	roots	root	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tangle** | past · passive |  | His legs |  | the roots of a tree |  |  | tree rules |

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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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