---
title: A boy in Alaska ties a long cord to his baby brother's toy so he can… — Safe toys and fair board games · tree and pragmatics
description: A boy in Alaska ties a long cord to his baby brother's toy so he can pull it out of the cot. Why is this a bad idea? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 302 «Safe toys and fair board games» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; 
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Safe toys and fair board games

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A boy in Alaska ties a long cord to his baby brother's toy so he can pull it out of the cot. Why is this a bad idea?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** boy, this · **What happens:** tie, pull, be · **To what, where:** long cord, cord, cot, bad idea

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 302 «Safe toys and fair board games» 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/302-toys-and-board-games/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A boy in Alaska ties a long cord to his baby brother's toy so he can pull it out of the cot.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:302-toys-and-board-games:t3:1
# text = A boy in Alaska ties a long cord to his baby brother's toy so he can pull it out of the cot.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Alaska	Alaska	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	ties	tie	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	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	cord	cord	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
10	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
11	baby	baby	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	toy	toy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
15	so	so	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
16	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
17	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
18	pull	pull	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	advcl	_	_
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	obj	_	_
20	out	out	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
21	of	of	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	cot	cot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tie** | present | a boy in Alaska | a long cord |  |  |  | to boy's baby brother's toy | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: agent=Agent cord=Patient to toy=Co-Patient |
| 2 | **pull** | can | boy | cord |  | the cot |  |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP PP.initial\_location»: agent=Agent it=Theme out cot=Initial\_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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Why is this a bad idea?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:302-toys-and-board-games:t3:2
# 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The baby might pull the toy far too hard and hurt his arm with it

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:302-toys-and-board-games:t3:o1:1
# text = The baby might pull the toy far too hard and hurt his arm with it
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	baby	baby	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	pull	pull	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	toy	toy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	9	advmod	_	_
8	too	too	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	hard	hard	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	arm	arm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pull** | might | the baby | the toy |  |  |  | hard *property* | vn push-12-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent toy=Theme |
| 2 | **hurt** | past | the baby *not said here* | baby's arm |  |  |  | with arm | vn hurt-40.8.3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer arm=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The baby could get the cord around his neck and be strangled

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:302-toys-and-board-games:t3:o2:1
# text = The baby could get the cord around his neck and be strangled
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	baby	baby	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	get	get	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	cord	cord	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	around	around	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	strangled	strangle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | could | the baby | the cord |  | baby's neck |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer cord=Stimulus |
| 2 | **strangle** | infinitive · passive | the baby *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn poison-42.2 «NP V NP» |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cord will make the toy dirty

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:302-toys-and-board-games:t3:o3:1
# text = The cord will make the toy dirty
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cord	cord	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	toy	toy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	dirty	dirty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | future | the cord | the toy |  |  |  | dirty *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset toy=Product |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The toy will get lost under the cot

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:302-toys-and-board-games:t3:o4:1
# text = The toy will get lost under the cot
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	toy	toy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	get	get	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	under	under	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cot	cot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | future · passive |  | the toy |  | the cot |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |

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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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