---
title: With reference to the fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,… — Aesop's Fables, The Town Mouse and the… · tree and pragmatics
description: With reference to the fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, explain the moral conveyed by the events of the visit. Exam question 4 of lesson 145 «Aesop's Fables, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: a town visit ends in fright» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the depende
---

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# Exam question 4 · Aesop's Fables, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: a to…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
With reference to the fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, explain the moral conveyed by the events of the visit.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** explain, convey · **To what, where:** moral

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 145 «Aesop's Fables, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: a town visit ends in fright» 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/145-pg11339-part15/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:145-pg11339-part15:e4:1
# text = With reference to the fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, explain the moral conveyed by the events of the visit.
1	With	with	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	reference	reference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	fable	fable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	Town	Town	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	Mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	Country	Country	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	Mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
15	explain	explain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	moral	moral	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	_
18	conveyed	convey	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	17	acl	_	_
19	by	by	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	events	event	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	obl	_	_
22	of	of	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
24	visit	visit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | the moral |  |  |  | with reference to the fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent moral=Topic |
| 2 | **convey** | participle |  | the moral *not said here* |  |  |  | by the events of the visit | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Always be grateful for what you have and never envy others' riches

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:145-pg11339-part15:e4:o1:1
# text = Always be grateful for what you have and never envy others' riches
1	Always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	3	advmod	_	_
2	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	cop	_	_
3	grateful	grateful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	obl	_	_
6	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	envy	envy	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
11	others	other	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	'	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	riches	rich	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | always, grateful *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **envy** | infinitive | you *not said here* | others's riches |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer rich=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A simple life in safety is preferable to a rich life in danger, as the country mouse learned when he returned home to his fields and quiet dinners

<!-- fold The tree, 28 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:145-pg11339-part15:e4:o2:1
# text = A simple life in safety is preferable to a rich life in danger, as the country mouse learned when he returned home to his fields and quiet dinners
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	simple	simple	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	safety	safety	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	preferable	preferable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	rich	rich	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	country	country	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	compound	_	_
18	mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	_
19	learned	learn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
20	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	22	advmod	_	_
21	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	nsubj	_	_
22	returned	return	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	19	advcl	_	_
23	home	home	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
24	to	to	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
25	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	26	nmod:poss	_	_
26	fields	field	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	22	obl	_	_
27	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	29	cc	_	_
28	quiet	quiet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	29	amod	_	_
29	dinners	dinner	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	26	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a simple life in safety |  |  |  |  | to a rich life in danger; preferable *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **learn** | past | the country mouse |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **return** | past | mouse |  |  |  |  | to mouse's fields and quiet dinners *result*; home *property* | vn convert-26.6.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Patient to field=Result |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Friends should always share everything they have with each other

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:145-pg11339-part15:e4:o3:1
# text = Friends should always share everything they have with each other
1	Friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	share	share	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	everything	everything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	4	obj	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	each	each	DET	DT	ExtPos=PRON|PronType=Rcp	4	obl	_	_
10	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	fixed	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **share** | should | Friends | everything |  |  |  | with each; always *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | Friends *= friend* |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A simple life in safety is preferable to a rich life in danger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:145-pg11339-part15:e4:o4:1
# text = A simple life in safety is preferable to a rich life in danger
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	simple	simple	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	safety	safety	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	preferable	preferable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	rich	rich	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a simple life in safety |  |  |  |  | to a rich life in danger; preferable *property* | 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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