---
title: A cat flattens its ears and backs away when a boy reaches for it fas… — Kindness to animals · tree and pragmatics
description: A cat flattens its ears and backs away when a boy reaches for it fast. What should he do? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 207 «Kindness to animals» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · Kindness to animals

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cat flattens its ears and backs away when a boy reaches for it fast. What should he do?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** cat, boy · **What happens:** flatten, reach, do · **To what, where:** ears

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 207 «Kindness to animals» of the everyday 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/everyday/207-kindness-to-animals/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cat flattens its ears and backs away when a boy reaches for it fast.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:207-kindness-to-animals:t8:1
# text = A cat flattens its ears and backs away when a boy reaches for it fast.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	flattens	flatten	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	backs	back	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
8	away	away	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
9	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	reaches	reach	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	_
15	fast	fast	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	12	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flatten** | present | a cat | cat's ears and backs |  |  |  | away *property* | vn carve-21.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ear=Patient |
| 2 | **reach** | present | a boy |  |  |  |  | for cat; fast *property* | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 should he do?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:207-kindness-to-animals:t8:2
# text = What should he do?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Reach faster to catch it before it runs off

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:207-kindness-to-animals:t8:o1:1
# text = Reach faster to catch it before it runs off
1	Reach	reach	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	faster	fast	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	1	advmod	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	catch	catch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	runs	run	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
9	off	off	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reach** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | fast *property* | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **catch** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 3 | **run off** | present | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Stop, stay calm and let the cat come to him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:207-kindness-to-animals:t8:o2:1
# text = Stop, stay calm and let the cat come to him
1	Stop	stop	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
3	stay	stay	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
4	calm	calm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	let	let	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **stay** | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | calm *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **let** | infinitive | you *not said here* | the cat |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **come** | infinitive | the cat *not said here* |  | cat |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to he=Initial\_Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pick it up anyway, to calm it down quickly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:207-kindness-to-animals:t8:o3:1
# text = Pick it up anyway, to calm it down quickly
1	Pick	pick	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	up	up	ADP	RP	_	1	compound:prt	_	_
4	anyway	anyway	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	calm	calm	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	down	down	ADP	RP	_	7	compound:prt	_	_
10	quickly	quickly	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pick up** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  | anyway *property* | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **calm down** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  | quickly *property* | vn subjugate-42.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Shout so it knows he is friendly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:207-kindness-to-animals:t8:o4:1
# text = Shout so it knows he is friendly
1	Shout	shout	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	so	so	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
5	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	friendly	friendly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shout** *speech: express* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **know** | present | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **is** | present | he |  |  |  |  | friendly *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.

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