---
title: what's up with the word sable, like sounds fancy — Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9:… · tree and pragmatics
description: what's up with the word sable, like sounds fancy Test 12 · ★ of lesson 2050 «Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9: Theseus comes home to grief, and the Giant Antaeus is introduced as friend of the Pygmies» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Test 12 · ★ · Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9: Theseus comes home…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
what's up with the word sable, like sounds fancy

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** be

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 12 · ★ of lesson 2050 «Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9: Theseus comes home to grief, and the Giant Antaeus is introduced as friend of the Pygmies» 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/2050-pg976-part9/#t12).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2050-pg976-part9:t12:1
# text = what's up with the word sable, like sounds fancy
1	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	up	up	ADV	RB	_	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	sable	sable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	like	like	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
11	fancy	fancy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | with the word and sounds; up *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
it means black, it's old-school, like the black sails

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2050-pg976-part9:t12:o1:1
# text = it means black, it's old-school, like the black sails
1	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	like	like	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	sails	sail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | it |  |  |  |  | black *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | present | it | old school |  |  |  | like the black sails | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
it means black, I guess, like a colour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2050-pg976-part9:t12:o2:1
# text = it means black, I guess, like a colour
1	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	guess	guess	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | it |  |  |  |  | black *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **guess** | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
it means a kind of sea bird, I think

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2050-pg976-part9:t12:o3:1
# text = it means a kind of sea bird, I think
1	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | it | a kind of sea bird |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent kind=Topic |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
it means black, it's old-school, and it's also a fur used for royal robes, which is why it sounds so fancy to us

<!-- fold The tree, 26 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2050-pg976-part9:t12:o4:1
# text = it means black, it's old-school, and it's also a fur used for royal robes, which is why it sounds so fancy to us
1	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
14	also	also	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	fur	fur	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	parataxis	_	_
17	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	acl	_	_
18	for	for	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	royal	royal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	robes	robe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	24	punct	_	_
22	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	24	nsubj	_	_
23	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	24	cop	_	_
24	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	16	acl:relcl	_	_
25	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	26	nsubj	_	_
26	sounds	sound	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	24	ccomp	_	_
27	so	so	ADV	RB	_	28	advmod	_	_
28	fancy	fancy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	26	xcomp	_	_
29	to	to	ADP	IN	_	30	case	_	_
30	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	28	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | it |  |  |  |  | black *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | present | it | old school |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | present | school | a fur |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **use** | participle |  | a fur *not said here* |  |  |  | for royal robes | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | present | a fur |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 6 | **sound** | present | school |  |  |  |  | fancy *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: 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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9:…, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2050-pg976-part9/t11/)
- next →: [Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9:…, test 13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2050-pg976-part9/t13/)
- ↑ back to [Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies, part 9: Theseus comes home to grief, and the Giant Antaeus is introduced as friend of the Pygmies](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2050-pg976-part9/)