---
title: "Shut up, the wind can't scream, it ain't got a mouth," snaps Ryan.… — Poetry: simile, metaphor, personificat… · tree and pragmatics
description: "Shut up, the wind can't scream, it ain't got a mouth," snaps Ryan. What is the poet doing? Test 6 · ★ of lesson 46 «Poetry: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mo
---

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# Test 6 · ★ · Poetry: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Shut up, the wind can't scream, it ain't got a mouth," snaps Ryan. What is the poet doing?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** wind, poet · **What happens:** shut up, not scream, not get, snap, do · **To what, where:** mouth, Ryan

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★ of lesson 46 «Poetry: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration» of the English 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/english/46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* "Shut up, the wind can't scream, it ain't got a mouth," snaps Ryan.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration:t6:1
# text = "Shut up, the wind can't scream, it ain't got a mouth," snaps Ryan.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Shut	shut	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	advcl	_	_
3	up	up	ADP	RP	_	2	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	scream	scream	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
12	ai	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	got	get	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	9	parataxis	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	mouth	mouth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	19	punct	_	_
19	snaps	snap	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
20	Ryan	Ryan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shut up** *in a quote* | participle | the wind *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn subjugate-42.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **scream** *speech: express* *in a quote* | can | the wind |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **get** *in a quote* | present · passive | wind | a mouth |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer mouth=Stimulus |
| 4 | **snap** | present | the wind *not said here* | Ryan |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location ryan=Theme |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is the poet doing?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration:t6:2
# text = What is the poet doing?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	poet	poet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	doing	do	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present · progressive | the poet |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Writing a simile about wind and mouths

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration:t6:o1:1
# text = Writing a simile about wind and mouths
1	Writing	write	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	simile	simile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	mouths	mouth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | gerund |  | a simile |  |  |  | about wind and mouths | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent simile=Recipient about wind=Topic |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Using onomatopoeia for the wind's noise

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration:t6:o2:1
# text = Using onomatopoeia for the wind's noise
1	Using	use	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	0	root	_	_
2	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
7	noise	noise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | gerund |  | onomatopoeia |  |  |  | for the wind's noise | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: agent=Agent onomatopoeia=Theme for noise=Eventuality |
| 2 | **noise** |  | the wind |  |  |  |  |  | nom noise «event intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Making a science mistake about the wind

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration:t6:o3:1
# text = Making a science mistake about the wind
1	Making	make	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	science	science	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	mistake	mistake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	about	about	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | gerund |  | a science mistake |  |  |  | about the wind | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset mistake=Product |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Personifying the wind to show it is wild

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration:t6:o4:1
# text = Personifying the wind to show it is wild
1	Personifying	personify	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	csubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	wild	wild	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **personify** | gerund |  | the wind |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **show** | to-infinitive |  | wind |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent it=Recipient |
| 3 | **is** | present | Personifying |  |  |  |  | wild *property* | tree rules |

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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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