---
title: With reference to the text, state the principal moral conveyed by th… — Aesop for Children, The Shepherd Boy a… · tree and pragmatics
description: With reference to the text, state the principal moral conveyed by the fable in the concluding sentence. Exam question 2 of lesson 364 «Aesop for Children, The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf: a bored boy cries "Wolf!" for fun until a real wolf comes» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the 
---

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# Exam question 2 · Aesop for Children, The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf: a bored…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
With reference to the text, state the principal moral conveyed by the fable in the concluding sentence.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** convey · **To what, where:** principal moral

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 364 «Aesop for Children, The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf: a bored boy cries "Wolf!" for fun until a real wolf comes» 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/364-pg19994-part3/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:364-pg19994-part3:e2:1
# text = With reference to the text, state the principal moral conveyed by the fable in the concluding sentence.
1	With	with	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	reference	reference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	text	text	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	state	state	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	appos	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	moral	moral	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
11	conveyed	convey	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	acl	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	fable	fable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	concluding	concluding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	compound	_	_
18	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **convey** | participle |  | the principal moral *not said here* |  |  |  | by the fable in the concluding sentence | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=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 -->
Those who lie are always caught out in time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:364-pg19994-part3:e2:o1:1
# text = Those who lie are always caught out in time
1	Those	that	PRON	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	_
3	lie	lie	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
5	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	6	advmod	_	_
6	caught	catch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	out	out	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lie** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **catch out** | present · passive |  | Those |  |  | time | always *property* | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:364-pg19994-part3:e2:o2:1
# text = Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth
1	Liars	liar	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	believed	believe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	even	even	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
6	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	8	mark	_	_
7	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	speak	speak	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **believe** | present · passive |  | Liars |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Stimulus |
| 2 | **speak** *speech: other* | present | Liars *= liar* | the truth |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Shepherds should never leave their flock alone at night, since wolves can attack at any moment and villagers will not help

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:364-pg19994-part3:e2:o3:1
# text = Shepherds should never leave their flock alone at night, since wolves can attack at any moment and villagers will not help
1	Shepherds	shepherd	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	leave	leave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	flock	flock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
12	wolves	wolf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
13	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	attack	attack	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	22	conj	_	_
15	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	17	det	_	_
17	moment	moment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	villagers	villager	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	conj	_	_
20	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	22	aux	_	_
21	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	22	advmod	_	_
22	help	help	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **leave** | should | Shepherds | Shepherds's flock |  |  | night | alone *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent flock=Theme |
| 2 | **attack** | can | wolves |  |  |  | moment |  | vn attack-60.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **help** | future | Shepherds *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A person who makes up stories for fun will find that the villagers never trust anything he says, so he must be careful

<!-- fold The tree, 23 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:364-pg19994-part3:e2:o4:1
# text = A person who makes up stories for fun will find that the villagers never trust anything he says, so he must be careful
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
3	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
4	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
5	up	up	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	fun	fun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
9	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
11	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	villagers	villager	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
14	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	trust	trust	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	ccomp	_	_
16	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	15	obj	_	_
17	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
18	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	24	punct	_	_
20	so	so	ADV	RB	_	24	advmod	_	_
21	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	24	nsubj	_	_
22	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	24	aux	_	_
23	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	24	cop	_	_
24	careful	careful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make up** | present | a person | stories |  |  |  | for fun | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme story=Pivot |
| 2 | **find** | future | a person |  |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **trust** | present | the villagers | anything |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Theme |
| 4 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | person |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | must | person |  |  |  |  | careful *property* | tree rules |

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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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