---
title: What is the principal reason given for the swallow's lack of conside… — Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes,… · tree and pragmatics
description: What is the principal reason given for the swallow's lack of consideration by the fence-rail? Exam question 2 of lesson 956 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes, part 167: prizes are argued over, then poor Karen gets red shoes and is taken away» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with t
---

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# Exam question 2 · Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes, part 167: prizes ar…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What is the principal reason given for the swallow's lack of consideration by the fence-rail?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** swallow · **What happens:** be, give, lack · **To what, where:** principal reason, consideration

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 956 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes, part 167: prizes are argued over, then poor Karen gets red shoes and is taken 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/956-pg27200-part167/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:956-pg27200-part167:e2:1
# text = What is the principal reason given for the swallow's lack of consideration by the fence-rail?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	swallow	swallow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	lack	lack	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	consideration	consideration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	by	by	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
16	fence	fence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	rail	rail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **give** | participle |  | the principal reason *not said here* |  |  |  | for the swallow's lack of consideration; by the fence rail | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.asset»: agent=Agent for lack=Asset |
| 3 | **lack** |  | the swallow | consideration |  |  |  |  | nom lack «state transitive»: poss=agent of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
Her fickle habit of travelling abroad whenever winter commences and never returning to the fence-rail until spring has fully arrived

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:956-pg27200-part167:e2:o1:1
# text = Her fickle habit of travelling abroad whenever winter commences and never returning to the fence-rail until spring has fully arrived
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	fickle	fickle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	habit	habit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
6	abroad	abroad	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	whenever	whenever	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	9	advmod	_	_
8	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	commences	commence	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	returning	return	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	conj	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
15	fence	fence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	rail	rail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
18	until	until	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	_
20	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	22	aux	_	_
21	fully	fully	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
22	arrived	arrive	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travel** | gerund | Her fickle habit *not said here* |  |  |  |  | abroad *property* | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **commence** | present | winter |  |  |  |  | whenever *property* | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 3 | **not** **return** | gerund | winter *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to the fence rail until spring *result* | vn convert-26.6.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Patient to rail=Result |
| 4 | **arrive** | present · perfect · passive |  | Her fickle habit |  |  |  | fully *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her rude way of talking to the fence-rail at dawn each day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:956-pg27200-part167:e2:o2:1
# text = Her rude way of talking to the fence-rail at dawn each day
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	rude	rude	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	talking	talk	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	fence	fence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	rail	rail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	dawn	dawn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
13	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	14	det	_	_
14	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **talk** | gerund | Her rude way *not said here* |  |  |  | day | to the fence rail at dawn | vn talk-37.5 «NP V PP.co-agent»: agent=Agent to rail=Co-Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her fickle habit of travelling abroad when winter commences

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:956-pg27200-part167:e2:o3:1
# text = Her fickle habit of travelling abroad when winter commences
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	fickle	fickle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	habit	habit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	abroad	abroad	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
8	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	commences	commence	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travel** | gerund | Her fickle habit |  |  |  |  | abroad *property* | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **commence** | present | winter |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her fickle habit of gossiping about the hare and the snail all day, then travelling abroad when winter commences and ignoring everyone

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:956-pg27200-part167:e2:o4:1
# text = Her fickle habit of gossiping about the hare and the snail all day, then travelling abroad when winter commences and ignoring everyone
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	fickle	fickle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	habit	habit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	gossiping	gossip	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	hare	hare	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	snail	snail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
12	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	13	det	_	_
13	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	16	advmod	_	_
16	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	conj	_	_
17	abroad	abroad	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
18	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	20	advmod	_	_
19	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	_
20	commences	commence	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	advcl	_	_
21	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
22	ignoring	ignore	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	conj	_	_
23	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	22	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **gossip** *speech: other* | gerund | Her fickle habit *not said here* |  |  |  | day | about the hare and the snail | vn chit\_chat-37.6 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about hare=Topic |
| 2 | **travel** | gerund | Her fickle habit *not said here* |  |  |  | then | abroad *property* | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **commence** | present | winter |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 4 | **ignore** | gerund | Her fickle habit *not said here* | everyone |  |  |  |  | vn neglect-75.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent everyone=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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes,…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/956-pg27200-part167/e1/)
- next →: [Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes,…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/956-pg27200-part167/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes, part 167: prizes are argued over, then poor Karen gets red shoes and is taken away](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/956-pg27200-part167/)