---
title: Why did the old man fail to obtain milk from the black cow, and what… — fairy tales, The Prince in the Old Man… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why did the old man fail to obtain milk from the black cow, and what did he conclude from the prince's work? Exam question 4 of lesson 1764 «fairy tales, The Prince in the Old Man's House, part 15: the prince is set a hay task and tricks a horse and a cow» of the books course of Mova's primary schoo
---

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# Exam question 4 · fairy tales, The Prince in the Old Man's House, part 15: t…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why did the old man fail to obtain milk from the black cow, and what did he conclude from the prince's work?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** old man fail, fail, prince · **What happens:** obtain, conclude, work · **To what, where:** milk, work

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 1764 «fairy tales, The Prince in the Old Man's House, part 15: the prince is set a hay task and tricks a horse and a cow» 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/1764-pg641-part15/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1764-pg641-part15:e4:1
# text = Why did the old man fail to obtain milk from the black cow, and what did he conclude from the prince's work?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	fail	fail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	obtain	obtain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
9	milk	milk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	cow	cow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
16	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	19	obj	_	_
17	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
18	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
19	conclude	conclude	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	conj	_	_
20	from	from	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	prince	prince	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	's	's	PART	POS	_	22	case	_	_
24	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **obtain** | past · do-support | the old man fail | milk |  |  |  | from the black cow | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent milk=Theme from cow=Source |
| 2 | **conclude** | past · do-support | fail |  |  | the prince's work |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent what=Theme from work=Source |
| 3 | **work** |  | the prince |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cow had already run dry before the prince came, and he suspected outside aid from the maid

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1764-pg641-part15:e4:o1:1
# text = The cow had already run dry before the prince came, and he suspected outside aid from the maid
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cow	cow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	already	already	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	run	run	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	dry	dry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	prince	prince	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	suspected	suspect	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
15	outside	outside	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	aid	aid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
17	from	from	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	maid	maid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | past · perfect · passive |  | the cow |  |  |  |  | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP.beneficiary NP»: subject=Beneficiary dry=Product |
| 2 | **come** | past | the prince |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **suspect** | past | prince |  |  |  |  | outside aid; from the maid | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cow had already run dry, and he suspected outside aid

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1764-pg641-part15:e4:o2:1
# text = The cow had already run dry, and he suspected outside aid
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cow	cow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	already	already	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	run	run	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	suspected	suspect	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
11	outside	outside	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	aid	aid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | past · perfect · passive |  | the cow |  |  |  | dry *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Agent |
| 2 | **suspect** | past | he | outside aid |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent aid=Attribute |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cow was dry, and he thought the prince lazy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1764-pg641-part15:e4:o3:1
# text = The cow was dry, and he thought the prince lazy
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cow	cow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	prince	prince	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	lazy	lazy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the cow |  |  |  |  | dry *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | past | he | the prince |  |  |  | lazy *property* | vn wish-62 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot prince=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cow had run dry, and he suspected theft

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1764-pg641-part15:e4:o4:1
# text = The cow had run dry, and he suspected theft
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cow	cow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	run	run	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	suspected	suspect	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
10	theft	theft	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | past · perfect · passive |  | the cow |  |  |  | dry *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Agent |
| 2 | **suspect** | past | he | theft |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent theft=Attribute |

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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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- ← previous: [fairy tales, The Prince in the Old Man…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1764-pg641-part15/e3/)
- next →: [Fairy Tales (pg641), The Prince and th…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1765-pg641-part16/t1/)
- ↑ back to [fairy tales, The Prince in the Old Man's House, part 15: the prince is set a hay task and tricks a horse and a cow](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1764-pg641-part15/)