---
title: how did the brothers kill him, was it sus? — Russian Fairy Tales, The Golden Mermai… · tree and pragmatics
description: how did the brothers kill him, was it sus? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 1935 «Russian Fairy Tales, The Golden Mermaid: the Prince catches the mermaid, but his jealous brothers kill him and the wolf brings him back to life» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Russian Fairy Tales, The Golden Mermaid: the Prince catche…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
how did the brothers kill him, was it sus?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** brothers, it · **What happens:** be, kill · **To what, where:** him

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 1935 «Russian Fairy Tales, The Golden Mermaid: the Prince catches the mermaid, but his jealous brothers kill him and the wolf brings him back to life» 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/1935-pg7277-part72/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1935-pg7277-part72:t9:1
# text = how did the brothers kill him, was it sus?
1	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	brothers	brother	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	kill	kill	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
6	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	sus	suspect	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past |  |  |  |  |  | how *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **kill** | present | the brothers | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | past | it |  |  |  |  | suspect *property* | 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 -->
they lured him into the wood on a hunting trip and then beat and stabbed him with knives

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1935-pg7277-part72:t9:o1:1
# text = they lured him into the wood on a hunting trip and then beat and stabbed him with knives
1	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	lured	lure	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	hunting	hunting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	trip	trip	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	13	advmod	_	_
13	beat	beat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	stabbed	stab	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
16	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
17	with	with	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	knives	knife	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lure** | past | they | him *= he* |  |  |  | into the wood *result*; on a hunting trip | vn lure-59.3 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent he=Patient into wood=Result |
| 2 | **beat** | present | they *not said here* |  |  |  | then |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **stab** | past | they *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  | with knives | vn poison-42.2 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent he=Patient with knife=Instrument |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
they hit him with clubs in town

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1935-pg7277-part72:t9:o2:1
# text = they hit him with clubs in town
1	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	hit	hit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	clubs	club	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hit** | past | they | him *= he* |  | town |  | with clubs | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent he=Patient with club=Instrument |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
they ambushed him on the road in the wood and beat him with clubs until he stopped moving

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1935-pg7277-part72:t9:o3:1
# text = they ambushed him on the road in the wood and beat him with clubs until he stopped moving
1	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	ambushed	ambush	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	beat	beat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	conj	_	_
12	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	clubs	club	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
15	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
16	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	stopped	stop	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
18	moving	move	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	17	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ambush** | past | they | him *= he* |  | the road |  | in the wood | vn attack-60.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |
| 2 | **beat** | infinitive | they *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  | with clubs | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent he=Patient with club=Instrument |
| 3 | **stop** | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 4 | **move** | gerund | he *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
they beat him to death in the wood

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1935-pg7277-part72:t9:o4:1
# text = they beat him to death in the wood
1	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	beat	beat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **beat** | present | they | him *= he* | death |  |  | in the wood | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient PP.theme»: agent=Agent he=Patient to death=Recipient in wood=Topic |

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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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