---
title: By what mechanism was Brer Rabbit ultimately immobilised at the clos… — Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzz… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what mechanism was Brer Rabbit ultimately immobilised at the close of the tale? Exam question 4 of lesson 580 «Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzzard, part 16: Rabbit tricks Buzzard into carrying him home from the island» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree a
---

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# Exam question 4 · Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzzard, part 16: Rabbit…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what mechanism was Brer Rabbit ultimately immobilised at the close of the tale?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** mechanism · **What happens:** be, immobilis · **To what, where:** Brer Rabbit, close

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 580 «Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzzard, part 16: Rabbit tricks Buzzard into carrying him home from the island» 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/580-pg2306-part16/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:580-pg2306-part16:e4:1
# text = By what mechanism was Brer Rabbit ultimately immobilised at the close of the tale?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
3	mechanism	mechanism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	Brer	Brer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	Rabbit	rabbit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	acl:relcl	_	_
7	ultimately	ultimately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	immobilised	immobilis	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	close	close	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | mechanism | Brer Rabbit |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **immobilis** | participle |  | Brer Rabbit *not said here* |  | the close of the tale |  | ultimately *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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A loop-knot fastened behind his forelegs released by a bent sapling

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:580-pg2306-part16:e4:o1:1
# text = A loop-knot fastened behind his forelegs released by a bent sapling
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	loop	loop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	knot	knot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	fastened	fasten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	forelegs	foreleg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	released	release	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	bent	bent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	sapling	sapling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fasten** | participle |  | a loop knot *not said here* |  | his forelegs |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **release** | participle |  | his forelegs *not said here* |  |  |  | by a bent sapling | vn free-10.6.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Causer |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A loop-knot fastened behind his forelegs and released by a bent hickory sapling when he struggled

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:580-pg2306-part16:e4:o2:1
# text = A loop-knot fastened behind his forelegs and released by a bent hickory sapling when he struggled
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	loop	loop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	knot	knot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	fastened	fasten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	forelegs	foreleg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	released	release	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
11	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
13	bent	bent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
14	hickory	hickory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	_
15	sapling	sapling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
16	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	18	advmod	_	_
17	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
18	struggled	struggle	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fasten** | participle |  | a loop knot *not said here* |  | his forelegs |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **release** | participle |  |  |  |  |  | by a bent hickory sapling | vn free-10.6.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Causer |
| 3 | **struggle** | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn battle-36.4 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A rope fastened round his hind legs by a bent branch

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:580-pg2306-part16:e4:o3:1
# text = A rope fastened round his hind legs by a bent branch
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rope	rope	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	fastened	fasten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	round	round	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
6	hind	hind	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	legs	leg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	bent	bent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	branch	branch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fasten** | participle |  | a rope *not said here* |  |  |  | round his hind legs; by a bent branch | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A tight loop-knot fastened behind his forelegs and tied off to a bent sapling that sprang back when he kicked

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:580-pg2306-part16:e4:o4:1
# text = A tight loop-knot fastened behind his forelegs and tied off to a bent sapling that sprang back when he kicked
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
2	tight	tight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
3	loop	loop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	knot	knot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	fastened	fasten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
7	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	forelegs	foreleg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	tied	tie	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	conj	_	_
12	off	off	ADP	RP	_	11	compound:prt	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	bent	bent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	sapling	sapling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
17	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	18	nsubj	_	_
18	sprang	spring	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	acl:relcl	_	_
19	back	back	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
20	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	22	advmod	_	_
21	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	nsubj	_	_
22	kicked	kick	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fasten** | participle |  | a tight loop knot *not said here* |  | his forelegs |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **tie off** | participle |  |  |  |  |  | to a bent sapling | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V ADVP-Middle PP»: agent=Patient to sapling=Co-Patient |
| 3 | **spring back** | past | a bent sapling |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **kick** | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn split-23.2 «NP V apart»: agent=Patient |

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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: [Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzz…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/580-pg2306-part16/e3/)
- next →: [Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/581-pg2306-part17/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzzard, part 16: Rabbit tricks Buzzard into carrying him home from the island](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/580-pg2306-part16/)