---
title: Given that a dog has previously bitten a small child, ascertain the… — The dog that wags at last, and the one… · tree and pragmatics
description: Given that a dog has previously bitten a small child, ascertain the most appropriate household rule. Exam question 3 of lesson 459 «The dog that wags at last, and the one that never does» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

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# Exam question 3 · The dog that wags at last, and the one that never does

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Given that a dog has previously bitten a small child, ascertain the most appropriate household rule.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** give, bite, ascertain · **To what, where:** dog, appropriate household rule

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 459 «The dog that wags at last, and the one that never does» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does:e3:1
# text = Given that a dog has previously bitten a small child, ascertain the most appropriate household rule.
1	Given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	advcl	_	_
2	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
6	previously	previously	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	bitten	bite	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	advcl	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
12	ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
14	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	15	advmod	_	_
15	appropriate	appropriate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
16	household	household	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | participle | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **bite** | present · perfect · passive |  | a dog |  |  |  | previously *property* | vn swat-18.2 «NP V NP ADJP»: subject=Patient child=Result |
| 3 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the appropriate household rule |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rule=Topic |

<!-- .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 child shall be instructed to pull its ears gently

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does:e3:o1:1
# text = The child shall be instructed to pull its ears gently
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	pull	pull	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
10	gently	gently	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **instruct** *speech: other* | shall · passive |  | the child |  |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP how S\_INF»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **pull** | to-infinitive |  | child's ears |  |  |  | gently *property* | vn push-12-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ear=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No rule is required since dogs bite but once

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does:e3:o2:1
# text = No rule is required since dogs bite but once
1	No	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	2	det	_	_
2	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	bite	bite	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | present · passive |  | no rule |  |  |  |  | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Precondition |
| 2 | **bite** | present | dogs |  |  |  |  |  | vn swat-18.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dog shall never be left alone with small children

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does:e3:o3:1
# text = The dog shall never be left alone with small children
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	alone	alone	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **leave** | shall · passive |  | the dog |  |  |  | with small children; alone *property* | vn fulfilling-13.4.1 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP.theme»: subject=Recipient with child=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dog shall be permitted all contact as before

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does:e3:o4:1
# text = The dog shall be permitted all contact as before
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	permitted	permit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	contact	contact	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	as	as	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	before	before	ADV	RB	_	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **permit** | shall · passive |  | the dog |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP ADV»: subject=Theme contact=Location |

<!-- div src -->

**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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- ↑ back to [The dog that wags at last, and the one that never does](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does/)