---
title: It is given that a dog's hair stands erect along its back. Determine… — Reading a dog's body language · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a dog's hair stands erect along its back. Determine the most probable meaning thereof. Exam question 4 of lesson 21 «Reading a dog's body language» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's cho
---

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# Exam question 4 · Reading a dog's body language

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a dog's hair stands erect along its back. Determine the most probable meaning thereof.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** hair, you · **What happens:** give, stand, determine · **To what, where:** It, back, probable meaning

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 21 «Reading a dog's body language» of the everyday 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/everyday/21-reading-a-dog/#e4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a dog's hair stands erect along its back.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:21-reading-a-dog:e4:1
# text = It is given that a dog's hair stands erect along its back.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	hair	hair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	stands	stand	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
10	erect	erect	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	xcomp	_	_
11	along	along	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **stand** | present | a dog's hair |  |  | hair's back |  | erect *property* | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent along back=Location |

<!-- .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:* Determine the most probable meaning thereof.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:21-reading-a-dog:e4:2
# text = Determine the most probable meaning thereof.
1	Determine	determine	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
3	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
4	probable	probable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
6	thereof	thereof	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | imperative | you *not said here* | the probable meaning |  |  |  | thereof *property* | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent meaning=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the dog is entirely calm and contented

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:21-reading-a-dog:e4:o1:1
# text = That the dog is entirely calm and contented
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	entirely	entirely	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	calm	calm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	contented	content	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | that dog |  |  |  |  | calm, entirely *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **content** | participle | that dog *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the dog is upset, frightened or highly excited

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:21-reading-a-dog:e4:o2:1
# text = That the dog is upset, frightened or highly excited
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	upset	upset	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	frightened	frighten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	highly	highly	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	excited	excited	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | that dog |  |  |  |  | upset *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **frighten** | participle | that dog *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **be** |  | that dog *not said here* |  |  |  |  | highly *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the dog wishes to be fed immediately

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:21-reading-a-dog:e4:o3:1
# text = That the dog wishes to be fed immediately
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wishes	wish	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	fed	feed	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	ccomp	_	_
8	immediately	immediately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wish** | present | that dog |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **feed** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive · passive |  |  |  |  |  | immediately *property* | vn gorge-39.6 «NP V PP.patient» |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the dog is cold and requires a blanket at once

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:21-reading-a-dog:e4:o4:1
# text = That the dog is cold and requires a blanket at once
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	requires	require	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	blanket	blanket	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | that dog |  |  |  |  | cold *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **require** | present | that dog *not said here* | a blanket |  |  |  |  | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme blanket=Precondition |

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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: [Reading a dog's body language, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/21-reading-a-dog/e3/)
- next →: [Meeting a dog safely, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/22-meeting-a-dog-safely/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Reading a dog's body language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/21-reading-a-dog/)