---
title: By what means did Brer Fox's argument seek to establish Brer Possum'… — Uncle Remus, Rabbit Finds His Match at… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did Brer Fox's argument seek to establish Brer Possum's guilt? Exam question 4 of lesson 577 «Uncle Remus, Rabbit Finds His Match at Last, part 13: Possum burned for butter, Rabbit bets Tarrypin a race» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmati
---

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# Exam question 4 · Uncle Remus, Rabbit Finds His Match at Last, part 13: Poss…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did Brer Fox's argument seek to establish Brer Possum's guilt?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** argument, Brer · **What happens:** mean, seek, establish, argue · **To what, where:** guilt

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 577 «Uncle Remus, Rabbit Finds His Match at Last, part 13: Possum burned for butter, Rabbit bets Tarrypin a race» 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/577-pg2306-part13/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:577-pg2306-part13:e4:1
# text = By what means did Brer Fox's argument seek to establish Brer Possum's guilt?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	9	obl	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
4	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
5	Brer	Brer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	_
6	Fox	Fox	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
8	argument	argument	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	establish	establish	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	Brer	Brer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	15	nmod:poss	_	_
13	Possum	Possum	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
15	guilt	guilt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **seek** | past · do-support | Brer's argument |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **establish** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | Brer's argument *not said here* | Brer's guilt |  |  |  |  | vn establish-55.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent guilt=Patient |
| 4 | **argue** |  | Brer |  |  |  |  |  | nom argument «communication transitive»: 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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by claiming he was first at the butter and first to miss it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:577-pg2306-part13:e4:o1:1
# text = by claiming he was first at the butter and first to miss it
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	claiming	claim	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	2	advmod	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	butter	butter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	5	conj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	miss	miss	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **claim** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | he |  |  | the butter |  | first *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **miss** | to-infinitive |  | butter |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by insisting he was the only one awake

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:577-pg2306-part13:e4:o2:1
# text = by insisting he was the only one awake
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	insisting	insist	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
8	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **insist** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | awake *property* | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | he | the only one |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by swearing he saw the thief run off in the dark

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:577-pg2306-part13:e4:o3:1
# text = by swearing he saw the thief run off in the dark
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	swearing	swear	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	advcl	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	thief	thief	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	run	run	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	off	off	ADP	RP	_	7	compound:prt	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	dark	dark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swear** | gerund | he *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **see** | past | he | the thief |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer thief=Stimulus |
| 3 | **run off** | participle |  | the thief *not said here* |  | the dark |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in dark=Trajectory |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by claiming he was first at the butter, first to miss it, and last to leave the house

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:577-pg2306-part13:e4:o4:1
# text = by claiming he was first at the butter, first to miss it, and last to leave the house
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	claiming	claim	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	advcl	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	8	advmod	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	butter	butter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
10	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	12	advmod	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	miss	miss	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	conj	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	leave	leave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	xcomp	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **claim** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | he |  |  | the butter |  | first *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **miss** | to-infinitive |  | butter |  |  |  | first *property* | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=Stimulus |
| 4 | **leave** | to-infinitive |  | the house |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent house=Theme |

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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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- ← previous: [Uncle Remus, Rabbit Finds His Match at…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/577-pg2306-part13/e3/)
- next →: [Uncle Remus, The Fate of Mr. Fox: a ta…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/578-pg2306-part14/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Uncle Remus, Rabbit Finds His Match at Last, part 13: Possum burned for butter, Rabbit bets Tarrypin a race](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/577-pg2306-part13/)