---
title: the sick stag's just lying there, and all his mates come round and n… — Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine,… · tree and pragmatics
description: the sick stag's just lying there, and all his mates come round and nibble the grass, like proper selfish, so what happens to him? Test 4 · ★ 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 M
---

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# Test 4 · ★ · Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine, part 18: beasts are…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
the sick stag's just lying there, and all his mates come round and nibble the grass, like proper selfish, so what happens to him?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** sick stag, mates · **What happens:** lie, come round, nibble, happen · **To what, where:** grass, stag

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ 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. 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/#t4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:t4:1
# text = the sick stag's just lying there, and all his mates come round and nibble the grass, like proper selfish, so what happens to him?
1	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	sick	sick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	stag	stag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	lying	lie	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
7	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
10	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	12	det:predet	_	_
11	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	mates	mate	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
13	come	come	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	parataxis	_	_
14	round	round	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	nibble	nibble	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	conj	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
20	like	like	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	proper	proper	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	selfish	selfish	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	26	punct	_	_
24	so	so	ADV	RB	_	26	advmod	_	_
25	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	26	nsubj	_	_
26	happens	happen	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
27	to	to	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
28	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	26	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lie** | gerund | the sick stag |  |  | there |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **come round** | present | stag's mates |  |  |  |  | round *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **nibble** | present | stag's mates *not said here* | the grass |  |  |  | like proper selfish | vn chew-39.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent grass=Patient |
| 4 | **happen** | present |  |  | stag |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
he starves because there's no grass left

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:t4:o1:1
# text = he starves because there's no grass left
1	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	starves	starve	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
4	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	5	expl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
8	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **starve** | present | he |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** | present | no grass |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **leave** | participle |  | no grass *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
the hunters come and take him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:t4:o2:1
# text = the hunters come and take him
1	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hunters	hunter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	come	come	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	take	take	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
6	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | present | the hunters |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **take** | present | the hunters *not said here* |  | him *= he* |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Instrument he=Destination |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
he starves to death because there's no grass left for him to eat anywhere near

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:t4:o3:1
# text = he starves to death because there's no grass left for him to eat anywhere near
1	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	starves	starve	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	7	expl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
8	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	9	det	_	_
9	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
10	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	advcl	_	_
15	anywhere	anywhere	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	16	advmod	_	_
16	near	near	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **starve** | present | he |  |  |  |  | to death | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** | present | no grass |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **leave** | participle |  | no grass *not said here* |  |  |  | for grass | vn fulfilling-13.4.1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent for he=Recipient |
| 4 | **eat** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | near *property* | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
he just gets a bit thin

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:148-pg11339-part18:t4:o4:1
# text = he just gets a bit thin
1	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	just	just	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	gets	get	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
6	thin	thin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | he |  |  |  |  | thin *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |

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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 Stag and the Vine,…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/148-pg11339-part18/t3/)
- next →: [Aesop's Fables, The Stag and the Vine,…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/148-pg11339-part18/t5/)
- ↑ 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/)