---
title: A girl holds a rabbit by its ears because "that is how farmers do it… — Being gentle with small animals · tree and pragmatics
description: A girl holds a rabbit by its ears because "that is how farmers do it". Is she right? Test 6 of lesson 288 «Being gentle with small animals» 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 wrong.
---

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# Test 6 · Being gentle with small animals

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A girl holds a rabbit by its ears because "that is how farmers do it". Is she right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** girl, that, farmers · **What happens:** hold, be, do · **To what, where:** rabbit

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 of lesson 288 «Being gentle with small animals» 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/288-being-gentle-with-small-animals/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A girl holds a rabbit by its ears because "that is how farmers do it".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:288-being-gentle-with-small-animals:t6:1
# text = A girl holds a rabbit by its ears because "that is how farmers do it".
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	holds	hold	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rabbit	rabbit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	13	nsubj	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	15	advmod	_	_
14	farmers	farmer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | present | a girl | a rabbit |  |  |  | by rabbit's ears | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent rabbit=Theme by ear=Location |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | that |  |  |  |  | how *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **do** *in a quote* | present | farmers | rabbit |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |

<!-- .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:* Is she right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:288-being-gentle-with-small-animals:t6:2
# text = Is she right?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	right	right	ADV	RB	_	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, ears are the safest place to hold it, they're like handles

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:288-being-gentle-with-small-animals:t6:o1:1
# text = Yes, ears are the safest place to hold it, they're like handles
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	safest	safe	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	7	amod	_	_
7	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	hold	hold	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
14	like	like	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	handles	handle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | ears | the safest place and handles |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **hold** | to-infinitive |  | it |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | present | ears *= ear* |  |  |  |  | like handles | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, holding a rabbit by its ears hurts it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:288-being-gentle-with-small-animals:t6:o2:1
# text = No, holding a rabbit by its ears hurts it
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	holding	hold	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rabbit	rabbit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
9	hurts	hurt	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | gerund |  | a rabbit |  |  |  | by rabbit's ears | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent rabbit=Theme by ear=Location |
| 2 | **hurt** | present | holding | rabbit |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, she should hold it by its tail

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:288-being-gentle-with-small-animals:t6:o3:1
# text = No, she should hold it by its tail
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	hold	hold	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | should | she | it |  |  |  | by its tail | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent it=Theme by tail=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only for big rabbits

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:288-being-gentle-with-small-animals:t6:o4:1
# text = Yes, but only for big rabbits
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	rabbits	rabbit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
```

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

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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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