---
title: State the reason the father gave for absenting himself from the hous… — Household Tales, The Two Brothers, par… · tree and pragmatics
description: State the reason the father gave for absenting himself from the household at the birth of his last child. Exam question 3 of lesson 1572 «Household Tales, The Two Brothers, part 69: the lazy sister gets pitch, and two twins set out and part at a crossway» of the books course of Mova's primary school
---

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# Exam question 3 · Household Tales, The Two Brothers, part 69: the lazy siste…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
State the reason the father gave for absenting himself from the household at the birth of his last child.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** reason · **What happens:** give, absent · **To what, where:** State, father, household

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 1572 «Household Tales, The Two Brothers, part 69: the lazy sister gets pitch, and two twins set out and part at a crossway» 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/1572-pg540-part69/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1572-pg540-part69:e3:1
# text = State the reason the father gave for absenting himself from the household at the birth of his last child.
1	State	state	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	father	father	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	absenting	absent	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	advcl	_	_
9	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	8	obj	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	household	household	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	birth	birth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
17	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	19	nmod:poss	_	_
18	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | past | the reason | State |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **absent** | gerund | the reason *not said here* | father |  | the household |  | at the birth of father's last child | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
He went to the wood to cut trees, not wishing to be near his wife

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1572-pg540-part69:e3:o1:1
# text = He went to the wood to cut trees, not wishing to be near his wife
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	cut	cut	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
8	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wishing	wish	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	16	mark	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	cop	_	_
14	near	near	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	wife	wife	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | past | He |  |  | the wood |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to wood=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **cut** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | trees |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset tree=Product |
| 3 | **not** **wish** | gerund | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |
| 4 | **is** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | near his wife | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He went into the wood to gather firewood, not wishing to see the newborn

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1572-pg540-part69:e3:o2:1
# text = He went into the wood to gather firewood, not wishing to see the newborn
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	gather	gather	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
8	firewood	firewood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wishing	wish	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	newborn	newborn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | past | He |  |  | the wood |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme into wood=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **gather** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | firewood |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent firewood=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **wish** | gerund | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 4 | **see** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | the newborn |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer newborn=Stimulus |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To gather firewood

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1572-pg540-part69:e3:o3:1
# text = To gather firewood
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	gather	gather	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	firewood	firewood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **gather** | to-infinitive |  | firewood |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent firewood=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He walked into the woods to chop logs, not wanting to look at the baby

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1572-pg540-part69:e3:o4:1
# text = He walked into the woods to chop logs, not wanting to look at the baby
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	walked	walk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	woods	wood	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	chop	chop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
8	logs	log	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wanting	want	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	baby	baby	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **walk** | past | He |  |  |  |  | into the woods *result* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme into wood=Result |
| 2 | **chop** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | logs |  |  |  |  | vn carve-21.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent log=Patient |
| 3 | **not** **want** | gerund | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 4 | **look** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  | at the baby | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at baby=Theme |

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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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