---
title: What pretext did the Cat offer the Mouse to justify her absence from… — The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the… · tree and pragmatics
description: What pretext did the Cat offer the Mouse to justify her absence from the dwelling? Exam question 3 of lesson 1677 «The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership, part 1: the cat and mouse hide a pot of fat in the church, and the cat secretly eats it» of the books course of Mova's prima
---

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# Exam question 3 · The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the Mouse in Partnershi…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What pretext did the Cat offer the Mouse to justify her absence from the dwelling?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** pretext, Cat · **What happens:** offer, justify, absent · **To what, where:** Mouse, absence, dwelling

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 1677 «The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership, part 1: the cat and mouse hide a pot of fat in the church, and the cat secretly eats it» 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/1677-pg640-part1/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1677-pg640-part1:e3:1
# text = What pretext did the Cat offer the Mouse to justify her absence from the dwelling?
1	What	what	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	pretext	pretext	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	Cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	offer	offer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	Mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	justify	justify	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
11	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	absence	absence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	from	from	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	dwelling	dwelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **offer** | past · do-support | what pretext | the Mouse |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **justify** *speech: other* *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | what pretext *not said here* | Cat's absence |  | the dwelling |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent absence=Topic |
| 3 | **absent** |  | Cat |  |  |  |  |  | nom absence «state transitive»: 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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Attendance as godmother at her cousin's child's christening

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1677-pg640-part1:e3:o1:1
# text = Attendance as godmother at her cousin's child's christening
1	Attendance	attendance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	as	as	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	godmother	godmother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
5	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	christening	christening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **christen** |  | her cousin's child |  |  |  |  |  | nom christening «act transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Attendance as godmother at a christening of her cousin's child held at the village church on Sunday

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1677-pg640-part1:e3:o2:1
# text = Attendance as godmother at a christening of her cousin's child held at the village church on Sunday
1	Attendance	attendance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	as	as	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	godmother	godmother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	christening	christening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
12	held	hold	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	village	village	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	church	church	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
17	on	on	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	Sunday	Sunday	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | participle |  | her cousin's child *not said here* |  | the village church on Sunday |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at church=Location |
| 2 | **christen** |  |  | her cousin's child |  |  |  |  | nom christening «act transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sitting as godmother at a christening for her cousin's son, who had been born in the spring

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1677-pg640-part1:e3:o3:1
# text = Sitting as godmother at a christening for her cousin's son, who had been born in the spring
1	Sitting	sit	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	as	as	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	godmother	godmother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	christening	christening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	16	nsubj:pass	_	_
14	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
15	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	16	aux:pass	_	_
16	born	bear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl:relcl	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sit** | gerund |  |  |  | a christening |  | as godmother; for her cousin's son | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent at christening=Location |
| 2 | **bear** | past · perfect · passive |  | her cousin's son |  |  | spring |  | vn birth-28.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Helping her cousin with a family matter at the farm

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1677-pg640-part1:e3:o4:1
# text = Helping her cousin with a family matter at the farm
1	Helping	help	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	csubj	_	_
2	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	matter	matter	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	farm	farm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | gerund |  | her cousin |  |  |  | with a family | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent cousin=Beneficiary with family=Theme |
| 2 | **matter** | present | Helping |  |  | the farm |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

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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: [The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1677-pg640-part1/e2/)
- next →: [The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1677-pg640-part1/e4/)
- ↑ back to [The Yellow Fairy Book, The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership, part 1: the cat and mouse hide a pot of fat in the church, and the cat secretly eats it](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1677-pg640-part1/)