---
title: A tricky person asks for help finding a lost kitten. Why is this a t… — Strangers and tricky people · tree and pragmatics
description: A tricky person asks for help finding a lost kitten. Why is this a trick that often works? Test 4 · ★★ of lesson 58 «Strangers and tricky people» 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 right.
---

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# Test 4 · ★★ · Strangers and tricky people

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A tricky person asks for help finding a lost kitten. Why is this a trick that often works?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** tricky person, help, trick · **What happens:** ask, find, lose, be, work · **To what, where:** lost kitten, trick

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★★ of lesson 58 «Strangers and tricky people» 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/58-strangers-and-tricky-people/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A tricky person asks for help finding a lost kitten.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:58-strangers-and-tricky-people:t4:1
# text = A tricky person asks for help finding a lost kitten.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	tricky	tricky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	help	help	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	finding	find	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	kitten	kitten	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | a tricky person |  |  |  |  | for help | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **find** | gerund | help *not said here* | a lost kitten |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent kitten=Topic |
| 3 | **lose** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «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:* Why is this a trick that often works?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:58-strangers-and-tricky-people:t4:2
# text = Why is this a trick that often works?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	det	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
7	often	often	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | this trick |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **work** | present | this trick |  |  |  |  | often *property* | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Kittens are easy to find anywhere

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:58-strangers-and-tricky-people:t4:o1:1
# text = Kittens are easy to find anywhere
1	Kittens	kitten	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	easy	easy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	_
6	anywhere	anywhere	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	5	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Kittens |  |  |  |  | easy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **find** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | anywhere *property* | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Children always know where kittens are

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:58-strangers-and-tricky-people:t4:o2:1
# text = Children always know where kittens are
1	Children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	3	advmod	_	_
3	know	know	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	3	ccomp	_	_
5	kittens	kitten	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **know** | present | Children |  |  |  |  | always *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **is** | present | kittens |  |  |  |  | where *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is not a trick, kittens get lost all the time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:58-strangers-and-tricky-people:t4:o3:1
# text = It is not a trick, kittens get lost all the time
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	kittens	kitten	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	get	get	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
10	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	12	det:predet	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is a** | present | It | a trick |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **lose** | present · passive |  | kittens |  |  | time |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Children are kind and want to help animals

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:58-strangers-and-tricky-people:t4:o4:1
# text = Children are kind and want to help animals
1	Children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	kind	kind	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	help	help	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Children |  |  |  |  | kind *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **want** | present | Children *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **help** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | Children *not said here* |  | animals |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent animal=Beneficiary |

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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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- ← previous: [Strangers and tricky people, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/58-strangers-and-tricky-people/t3/)
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