---
title: Which of the following best describes the course of action the Farme… — Aesop for Children, The Lark and Her Y… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following best describes the course of action the Farmer resolved upon, namely the cutting of his wheat by his own hand and that of his son? Exam question 1 of lesson 377 «Aesop for Children, The Lark and Her Young Ones: the farmer must cut his wheat himself, so the larks fly away» of t
---

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# Exam question 1 · Aesop for Children, The Lark and Her Young Ones: the farme…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following best describes the course of action the Farmer resolved upon, namely the cutting of his wheat by his own hand and that of his son?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** course, wheat · **What happens:** follow, describe, resolve, cut · **To what, where:** cutting

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 377 «Aesop for Children, The Lark and Her Young Ones: the farmer must cut his wheat himself, so the larks fly away» 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/377-pg19994-part16/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:377-pg19994-part16:e1:1
# text = Which of the following best describes the course of action the Farmer resolved upon, namely the cutting of his wheat by his own hand and that of his son?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	obj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	case	_	_
5	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	6	nmod	_	_
6	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	Farmer	Farmer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	resolved	resolve	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	ccomp	_	_
14	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	namely	namely	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	cutting	cutting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	21	nmod:poss	_	_
21	wheat	wheat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nmod	_	_
22	by	by	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
23	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	25	nmod:poss	_	_
24	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	_
25	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
26	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	27	cc	_	_
27	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	25	conj	_	_
28	of	of	ADP	IN	_	30	case	_	_
29	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	30	nmod:poss	_	_
30	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **describe** | present |  |  |  |  |  | of the best | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP to be ADJ»: agent=Agent which=Theme clause=Attribute |
| 3 | **resolve** | past | the course of action | the cutting of Farmer's wheat |  |  |  | by Farmer's own hand | tree rules |
| 4 | **cut** |  | Farmer's wheat |  |  |  |  |  | nom cutting «act intransitive»: of=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Farmer decided to hire some men to cut the field

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:377-pg19994-part16:e1:o1:1
# text = The Farmer decided to hire some men to cut the field
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Farmer	Farmer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	decided	decide	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	hire	hire	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
7	men	man	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	cut	cut	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	advcl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	field	field	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decide** | past | the Farmer |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **hire** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the Farmer *not said here* | some men |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent man=Theme |
| 3 | **cut** | to-infinitive | the Farmer *not said here* | the field |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset field=Product |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He waited for the friends

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:377-pg19994-part16:e1:o2:1
# text = He waited for the friends
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	waited	wait	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** | past | He |  |  |  |  | for the friends | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Farmer resolved to harvest the wheat himself with his son

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:377-pg19994-part16:e1:o3:1
# text = The Farmer resolved to harvest the wheat himself with his son
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Farmer	Farmer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	resolved	resolve	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	harvest	harvest	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	wheat	wheat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	5	obl:unmarked	_	_
9	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **resolve** | past | the Farmer |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **harvest** | to-infinitive | the Farmer *not said here* | the wheat |  |  |  | with Farmer's son; Farmer *obl:unmarked* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Farmer decided his friends would come and cut the crop

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:377-pg19994-part16:e1:o4:1
# text = The Farmer decided his friends would come and cut the crop
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Farmer	Farmer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	decided	decide	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
6	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	cut	cut	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	crop	crop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decide** | past | the Farmer |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **come** | would | Farmer's friends |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **cut** | infinitive | Farmer's friends *not said here* | the crop |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset crop=Product |

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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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