---
title: Which beast, having been informed of the danger of retreat, declined… — Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which beast, having been informed of the danger of retreat, declined to remain at the scene, and why did it do so? Exam question 3 of lesson 148 «Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine, part 18: beasts are tricked, shot, or betrayed, and each fable teaches a lesson» of the books course of Mova's prim
---

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# Exam question 3 · Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine, part 18: beasts are…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which beast, having been informed of the danger of retreat, declined to remain at the scene, and why did it do so?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** beast · **What happens:** inform, decline, not remain, do · **To what, where:** beast, scene

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 148 «Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine, part 18: beasts are tricked, shot, or betrayed, and each fable teaches 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/148-pg11339-part18/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:e3:1
# text = Which beast, having been informed of the danger of retreat, declined to remain at the scene, and why did it do so?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	beast	beast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	aux	_	_
5	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	informed	inform	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl:relcl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	retreat	retreat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
13	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	remain	remain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	xcomp	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	scene	scene	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	24	punct	_	_
20	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
21	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	24	advmod	_	_
22	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	24	aux	_	_
23	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	24	nsubj	_	_
24	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	conj	_	_
25	so	so	ADV	RB	_	24	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	13	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **inform** *speech: other* | gerund · perfect · passive |  | which beast *not said here* |  |  |  | of the danger of retreat | vn tell-37.2 «NP V NP.recipient PP.topic»: of danger=Topic |
| 2 | **decline** | past | which beast |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **remain** | to-infinitive | which beast *not said here* |  |  | the scene |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at scene=Location |
| 4 | **do** | past · do-support | beast |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: 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 -->
The Fox declined to stay at the scene, because the arrow had revealed a dangerous hunter nearby

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:e3:o1:1
# text = The Fox declined to stay at the scene, because the arrow had revealed a dangerous hunter nearby
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	stay	stay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	scene	scene	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	arrow	arrow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
13	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	revealed	reveal	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	dangerous	dangerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	hunter	hunter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
18	nearby	nearby	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | the Fox |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **stay** | to-infinitive | the Fox *not said here* |  |  | the scene |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at scene=Location |
| 3 | **reveal** | past · perfect | the arrow | a dangerous hunter |  |  |  | nearby *property* | vn confess-37.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent hunter=Topic |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Lion declined to remain, because a messenger so dispatched revealed a formidable adversary

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:e3:o2:1
# text = The Lion declined to remain, because a messenger so dispatched revealed a formidable adversary
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Lion	Lion	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	remain	remain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	messenger	messenger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	dispatched	dispatch	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	revealed	reveal	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	formidable	formidable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	adversary	adversary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | the Lion |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **remain** | to-infinitive | the Lion *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **reveal** | past · passive |  | a messenger |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Lion stayed to fight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:e3:o3:1
# text = The Lion stayed to fight
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Lion	Lion	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stayed	stay	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	fight	fight	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stay** | past | the Lion |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **fight** | to-infinitive | the Lion *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Fox ran away instead

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:e3:o4:1
# text = The Fox ran away instead
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	ran	run	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	away	away	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	instead	instead	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run away** | past | the Fox |  |  |  |  | away, instead *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- 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.

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- ← previous: [Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine,…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/148-pg11339-part18/e2/)
- next →: [Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine,…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/148-pg11339-part18/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine, part 18: beasts are tricked, shot, or betrayed, and each fable teaches a lesson](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/148-pg11339-part18/)