---
title: In an earthquake, why is it safer under a sturdy desk than standing… — Getting ready for school and the schoo… · tree and pragmatics
description: In an earthquake, why is it safer under a sturdy desk than standing by a bookcase? Test 5 · ★ of lesson 253 «Getting ready for school and the school day» 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 rig
---

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# Test 5 · ★ · Getting ready for school and the school day

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In an earthquake, why is it safer under a sturdy desk than standing by a bookcase?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** earthquake · **What happens:** be, stand · **To what, where:** earthquake

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★ of lesson 253 «Getting ready for school and the school day» 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/253-getting-ready-and-the-school-day/#t5).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:253-getting-ready-and-the-school-day:t5:1
# text = In an earthquake, why is it safer under a sturdy desk than standing by a bookcase?
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	earthquake	earthquake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	safer	safe	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
9	under	under	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	sturdy	sturdy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	desk	desk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
13	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
14	standing	stand	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	advcl	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	bookcase	bookcase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | earthquake |  |  | a earthquake |  | under a sturdy desk; safe *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **stand** | gerund | earthquake *not said here* |  |  |  |  | by a bookcase | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent by bookcase=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The desk is closer to the door

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:253-getting-ready-and-the-school-day:t5:o1:1
# text = The desk is closer to the door
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	desk	desk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	closer	close	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the desk |  |  |  |  | to the door; close *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Bookcases are always fixed down firmly to the wall

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:253-getting-ready-and-the-school-day:t5:o2:1
# text = Bookcases are always fixed down firmly to the wall
1	Bookcases	bookcase	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	fixed	fix	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	down	down	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	firmly	firmly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	wall	wall	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fix down** | present · passive |  | Bookcases |  |  |  | to the wall; always, firmly *property* | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP PP»: subject=Patient to wall=Co-Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Falling objects cause most injuries, and the desk protects your head

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:253-getting-ready-and-the-school-day:t5:o3:1
# text = Falling objects cause most injuries, and the desk protects your head
1	Falling	fall	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	amod	_	_
2	objects	object	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	cause	cause	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	injuries	injury	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	desk	desk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	protects	protect	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
11	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **cause** | present | Falling objects | most injuries |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition injury=Patient |
| 3 | **protect** | present | the desk | your head |  |  |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent head=Beneficiary |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Desks are heavy enough to stop the ground underneath them from shaking

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:253-getting-ready-and-the-school-day:t5:o4:1
# text = Desks are heavy enough to stop the ground underneath them from shaking
1	Desks	desk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	heavy	heavy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	enough	enough	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	stop	stop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	underneath	underneath	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obl	_	_
11	from	from	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	shaking	shake	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Desks |  |  |  |  | enough, heavy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **stop** | to-infinitive | Desks *not said here* | the ground |  |  |  | underneath Desks *= desk* | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Subeventuality ground=Eventuality |
| 3 | **shake** | gerund | Desks *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |

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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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