---
title: It being given that a snake is observed upon a path, select the cour… — Snakes, spiders and scorpions · tree and pragmatics
description: It being given that a snake is observed upon a path, select the course of action consistent with established guidance. Exam question 2 of lesson 25 «Snakes, spiders and scorpions» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

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# Exam question 2 · Snakes, spiders and scorpions

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It being given that a snake is observed upon a path, select the course of action consistent with established guidance.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** give, observe, select, establish · **To what, where:** It, snake, course

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 25 «Snakes, spiders and scorpions» 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/25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:e2:1
# text = It being given that a snake is observed upon a path, select the course of action consistent with established guidance.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	observed	observe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
9	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	path	path	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	select	select	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
18	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
19	with	with	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	established	establish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	21	amod	_	_
21	guidance	guidance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | gerund · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **observe** | present · passive |  | a snake |  |  |  | upon a path | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: subject=Topic |
| 3 | **select** | infinitive |  | the course of action |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent course=Theme |
| 4 | **establish** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Pivot |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To approach the snake to determine its species

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:e2:o1:1
# text = To approach the snake to determine its species
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	approach	approach	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	determine	determine	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **approach** | to-infinitive |  | the snake |  |  |  |  | vn confront-98 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent snake=Theme |
| 2 | **determine** | to-infinitive |  | snake's species |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent species=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To strike the snake with a stick

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:e2:o2:1
# text = To strike the snake with a stick
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	strike	strike	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strike** | to-infinitive |  | the snake |  |  |  | with a stick | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent snake=Patient with stick=Instrument |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To throw stones until the snake departs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:e2:o3:1
# text = To throw stones until the snake departs
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	throw	throw	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	departs	depart	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **throw** | to-infinitive |  | stones |  |  |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent stone=Theme |
| 2 | **depart** | present | the snake |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To stop, to withdraw slowly, and to allow the snake ample room to depart

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:e2:o4:1
# text = To stop, to withdraw slowly, and to allow the snake ample room to depart
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	stop	stop	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	withdraw	withdraw	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
6	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	allow	allow	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
12	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
13	ample	ample	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	room	room	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
15	to	to	PART	TO	_	16	mark	_	_
16	depart	depart	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **withdraw** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | slowly *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **allow** | to-infinitive |  | the snake ample room |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent room=Beneficiary |
| 4 | **depart** | to-infinitive |  | the snake ample room *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=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.

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