---
title: Ethan, a boy in Phoenix, wants to pick up a small snake to show his… — Snakes, spiders and scorpions · tree and pragmatics
description: Ethan, a boy in Phoenix, wants to pick up a small snake to show his friends. Why is this a bad idea? Test 1 · ★★ 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 option; Mova's choice was
---

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# Test 1 · ★★ · Snakes, spiders and scorpions

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ethan, a boy in Phoenix, wants to pick up a small snake to show his friends. Why is this a bad idea?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Ethan, this · **What happens:** want, pick up, show, be · **To what, where:** small snake, friends, bad idea

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This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 25 «Snakes, spiders and scorpions» 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/25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Ethan, a boy in Phoenix, wants to pick up a small snake to show his friends.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:t1:1
# text = Ethan, a boy in Phoenix, wants to pick up a small snake to show his friends.
1	Ethan	Ethan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Phoenix	Phoenix	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
8	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	pick	pick	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	xcomp	_	_
11	up	up	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
15	to	to	PART	TO	_	16	mark	_	_
16	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	advcl	_	_
17	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
18	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | Ethan |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **pick up** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | Ethan *not said here* | a small snake |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent snake=Topic |
| 3 | **show** | to-infinitive | Ethan *not said here* |  | Ethan's friends |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent friend=Recipient |

<!-- .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:* Why is this a bad idea?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:t1:2
# text = Why is this a bad idea?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	6	nsubj	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | this | a bad idea |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Snakes melt in warm hands

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:t1:o1:1
# text = Snakes melt in warm hands
1	Snakes	snake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	melt	melt	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	warm	warm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	hands	hand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **melt** | present | Snakes |  |  | warm hands |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His friends will be scared of him for the rest of the year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:t1:o2:1
# text = His friends will be scared of him for the rest of the year
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	cop	_	_
5	scared	scared	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obl	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	rest	rest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | future | His friends |  |  |  |  | of him *= he*; for the rest of the year; scared *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Small snakes are always venomous

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:t1:o3:1
# text = Small snakes are always venomous
1	Small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	snakes	snake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	5	advmod	_	_
5	venomous	venomous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Small snakes |  |  |  |  | always, venomous *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It may be venomous and bite when grabbed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions:t1:o4:1
# text = It may be venomous and bite when grabbed
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	cop	_	_
4	venomous	venomous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	bite	bite	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
7	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
8	grabbed	grab	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | may | It |  |  |  |  | venomous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **bite** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn swat-18.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **grab** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn steal-10.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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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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- ← previous: [Bees, wasps and stings, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/24-bees-and-wasps/e4/)
- next →: [Snakes, spiders and scorpions, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions/t2/)
- ↑ back to [Snakes, spiders and scorpions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/25-snakes-spiders-and-scorpions/)