---
title: What would happen if they used the plain snake for both s and sh? — Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was… · tree and pragmatics
description: What would happen if they used the plain snake for both s and sh? Test 3 · ★★ of lesson 88 «Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 2: yo, so, sho, shi, and shu-ya, the sky-water» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of ea
---

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# Test 3 · ★★ · Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 2: yo, so…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What would happen if they used the plain snake for both s and sh?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** they · **What happens:** happen, use · **To what, where:** plain snake

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★★ of lesson 88 «Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 2: yo, so, sho, shi, and shu-ya, the sky-water» 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/88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water/#t3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water:t3:1
# text = What would happen if they used the plain snake for both s and sh?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	used	use	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	plain	plain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
12	s	s	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	sh	sh	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **happen** | would |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **use** *a condition, not said to happen* | past | they | the plain snake |  |  |  | for both s and sh | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: agent=Agent snake=Theme for s=Eventuality |

<!-- .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 -->
«Dinner» and «drying-poles» would look the same

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water:t3:o1:1
# text = «Dinner» and «drying-poles» would look the same
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	drying	drying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	poles	pole	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
10	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | would | Dinner and drying poles | the same |  |  |  |  | vn seem-109-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme same=Attribute |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Dinner» and «drying-poles» would look the same, so Taffy would be sent to hang hides when she wanted food

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water:t3:o2:1
# text = «Dinner» and «drying-poles» would look the same, so Taffy would be sent to hang hides when she wanted food
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	drying	drying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	poles	pole	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
10	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	so	so	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
16	Taffy	Taffy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	_
17	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
18	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	19	aux:pass	_	_
19	sent	send	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	parataxis	_	_
20	to	to	PART	TO	_	21	mark	_	_
21	hang	hang	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	19	advcl	_	_
22	hides	hide	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	obj	_	_
23	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	25	advmod	_	_
24	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	25	nsubj	_	_
25	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	advcl	_	_
26	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | would | Dinner and drying poles | the same |  |  |  |  | vn seem-109-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme same=Attribute |
| 2 | **send** | would · passive |  | Taffy |  |  |  |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 3 | **hang** | to-infinitive |  | hides |  |  |  |  | vn poison-42.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent hide=Patient |
| 4 | **want** | past | Taffy | food |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot food=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Dinner» and «drying-poles» would look the same, and the whole Tribe would argue about it for years

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water:t3:o3:1
# text = «Dinner» and «drying-poles» would look the same, and the whole Tribe would argue about it for years
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	drying	drying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	poles	pole	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
10	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	Tribe	tribe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	_
19	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	20	aux	_	_
20	argue	argue	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	parataxis	_	_
21	about	about	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
22	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	obl	_	_
23	for	for	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
24	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	20	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | would | Dinner and drying poles | the same |  |  |  |  | vn seem-109-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme same=Attribute |
| 2 | **argue** *speech: disagree* | would | the whole Tribe |  |  |  | year | about it | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V PP.theme S»: agent=Agent about it=Topic |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Taffy would get the poles for dinner each day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water:t3:o4:1
# text = Taffy would get the poles for dinner each day
1	Taffy	Taffy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	get	get	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	poles	pole	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	9	det	_	_
9	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | would | Taffy | the poles |  |  | day | for dinner | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent pole=Theme for dinner=Source |

<!-- div src -->

**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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- next →: [Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water/t4/)
- ↑ back to [Just So Stories, How the Alphabet Was Made, part 2: yo, so, sho, shi, and shu-ya, the sky-water](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/88-justso-alphabet-2-shu-ya-sky-water/)