---
title: Explain why the Ass is unable to consume the thistle, with reference… — Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Thistle's… · tree and pragmatics
description: Explain why the Ass is unable to consume the thistle, with reference to the text. Exam question 3 of lesson 998 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Thistle's Experiences, part 209: a prince leaves a proud princess, and a thistle dreams of glory» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the depend
---

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# Exam question 3 · Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Thistle's Experiences, part 20…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Explain why the Ass is unable to consume the thistle, with reference to the text.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, Ass · **What happens:** explain, be, consume · **To what, where:** thistle · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 998 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Thistle's Experiences, part 209: a prince leaves a proud princess, and a thistle dreams of glory» 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/998-pg27200-part209/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:998-pg27200-part209:e3:1
# text = Explain why the Ass is unable to consume the thistle, with reference to the text.
1	Explain	explain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Ass	ass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	unable	unable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	ccomp	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	consume	consume	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	reference	reference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	text	text	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the Ass |  |  |  |  | unable *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **consume** | to-infinitive | the Ass *not said here* | the thistle |  |  |  | with reference to the text | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thistle=Asset |

<!-- .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 -->
His halter is far too short, and the thistle is also guarded by the palings and the gate

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:998-pg27200-part209:e3:o1:1
# text = His halter is far too short, and the thistle is also guarded by the palings and the gate
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	halter	halter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	6	advmod	_	_
5	too	too	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux:pass	_	_
12	also	also	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	guarded	guard	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	conj	_	_
14	by	by	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	palings	paling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obl	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	gate	gate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | His halter |  |  |  |  | far, short *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **guard** | present · passive | the palings and the gate | the thistle |  |  |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Beneficiary |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The thistle grew on the far side of him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:998-pg27200-part209:e3:o2:1
# text = The thistle grew on the far side of him
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	grew	grow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	far	far	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | past | the thistle |  |  | the far side of him |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on side=Location |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is insufficiently strong to pull the palings down, and his halter cannot stretch to reach the plant at all

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:998-pg27200-part209:e3:o3:1
# text = He is insufficiently strong to pull the palings down, and his halter cannot stretch to reach the plant at all
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	insufficiently	insufficiently	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	pull	pull	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	palings	paling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
9	down	down	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	halter	halter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
14	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
16	stretch	stretch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	conj	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	reach	reach	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	xcomp	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	_
21	at	at	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
22	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	18	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | insufficiently, strong *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **pull down** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | the palings |  |  |  |  | vn push-12-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent paling=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **stretch** | can | his halter |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **reach** | to-infinitive | his halter *not said here* | the plant |  | all |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.source NP.asset»: agent=Agent plant=Theme at all=Asset |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His halter is insufficiently long to reach it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:998-pg27200-part209:e3:o4:1
# text = His halter is insufficiently long to reach it
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	halter	halter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	insufficiently	insufficiently	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	reach	reach	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	advcl	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | His halter |  |  |  |  | insufficiently, long *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **reach** | to-infinitive | His halter *not said here* | halter |  |  |  |  | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Agent it=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 Thistle's…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/998-pg27200-part209/e2/)
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- ↑ back to [Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Thistle's Experiences, part 209: a prince leaves a proud princess, and a thistle dreams of glory](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/998-pg27200-part209/)