---
title: A man sees a child struggling far out in the water. What is the safe… — The beach and the sea · tree and pragmatics
description: A man sees a child struggling far out in the water. What is the safest thing to do? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 44 «The beach and the sea» 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 8 · ★ · The beach and the sea

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A man sees a child struggling far out in the water. What is the safest thing to do?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** man, child, safest thing · **What happens:** see, struggle, be, do · **To what, where:** child, water

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This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 44 «The beach and the sea» 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/44-the-beach-and-the-sea/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A man sees a child struggling far out in the water.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:44-the-beach-and-the-sea:t8:1
# text = A man sees a child struggling far out in the water.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sees	see	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	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	struggling	struggle	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	8	advmod	_	_
8	out	out	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **see** | present | a man | a child |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer child=Stimulus |
| 2 | **struggle** | gerund | a child *not said here* |  |  | the water |  | out *property* | vn battle-36.4 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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:* What is the safest thing to do?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:44-the-beach-and-the-sea:t8:2
# text = What is the safest thing to do?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	safest	safe	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the safest thing |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive | the safest thing *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Wait and see if the child gets back alone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:44-the-beach-and-the-sea:t8:o1:1
# text = Wait and see if the child gets back alone
1	Wait	wait	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	conj	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	gets	get	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	back	back	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
9	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **see** | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 3 | **get back** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | the child |  |  |  |  | alone *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Swim out to the child straight away, without anything to float on

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:44-the-beach-and-the-sea:t8:o2:1
# text = Swim out to the child straight away, without anything to float on
1	Swim	swim	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	out	out	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
6	straight	straight	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	away	away	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	without	without	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	1	parataxis	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	float	float	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	acl	_	_
13	on	on	ADP	RP	_	12	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swim out** | imperative | you *not said here* |  | the child |  |  | away, out *property* | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme to child=Destination |
| 2 | **float on** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Run into the water to wave at the child

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:44-the-beach-and-the-sea:t8:o3:1
# text = Run into the water to wave at the child
1	Run	run	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	into	into	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	wave	wave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | into the water *result* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme into water=Result |
| 2 | **wave** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  | at the child | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at child=Location |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tell a lifeguard or call the emergency number at once

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:44-the-beach-and-the-sea:t8:o4:1
# text = Tell a lifeguard or call the emergency number at once
1	Tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	lifeguard	lifeguard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	call	call	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	emergency	emergency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | a lifeguard |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent lifeguard=Recipient |
| 2 | **call** | infinitive | you *not said here* | the emergency number |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V NP.theme PP.recipient PP.stimulus»: agent=Agent number=Theme at once=Stimulus |

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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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