---
title: A cat in Perth sees a big dog. Its back arches and its fur stands on… — Understanding cats · tree and pragmatics
description: A cat in Perth sees a big dog. Its back arches and its fur stands on end. Why? Test 2 of lesson 23 «Understanding cats» 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 right.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/23-understanding-cats/t2/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/) / [Understanding cats](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/23-understanding-cats/) / t2

# Test 2 · Understanding cats

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cat in Perth sees a big dog. Its back arches and its fur stands on end. Why?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cat, fur · **What happens:** see, stand · **To what, where:** big dog, back arches, end

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 of lesson 23 «Understanding cats» 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/23-understanding-cats/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cat in Perth sees a big dog.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:1
# text = A cat in Perth sees a big dog.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Perth	Perth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	sees	see	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **see** | present | a cat in Perth | a big dog |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer dog=Stimulus |

<!-- .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:* Its back arches and its fur stands on end.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:2
# text = Its back arches and its fur stands on end.
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	arches	arch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
5	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	fur	fur	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	stands	stand	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stand** | present | cat's fur | cat's back arches |  |  | on end |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent on end=Location |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Why?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:3
# text = Why?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is stretching after a nap

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:o1:1
# text = It is stretching after a nap
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	stretching	stretch	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	after	after	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	nap	nap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stretch** | present · progressive | It |  |  |  | after a nap |  | vn bend-45.2 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is happy and wants to play

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:o2:1
# text = It is happy and wants to play
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | happy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **want** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **play** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is scared and trying to look bigger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:o3:1
# text = It is scared and trying to look bigger
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	scared	scared	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	7	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | scared *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **try** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **look** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | big *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is warming its fur in the sun on purpose

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:23-understanding-cats:t2:o4:1
# text = It is warming its fur in the sun on purpose
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	warming	warm	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	fur	fur	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	sun	sun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **warm** | present · progressive | It | its fur |  | the sun |  | on purpose | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent fur=Patient |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Understanding cats, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/23-understanding-cats/t1/)
- next →: [Understanding cats, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/23-understanding-cats/t3/)
- ↑ back to [Understanding cats](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/23-understanding-cats/)