---
title: Teacher asks: "Why do you think the dove came back the first time?"… — Noah and the Tower of Babel · tree and pragmatics
description: Teacher asks: "Why do you think the dove came back the first time?" Which answer fits the story? Test 9 of lesson 3 «Noah and the Tower of Babel» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wron
---

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# Test 9 · Noah and the Tower of Babel

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Teacher asks: "Why do you think the dove came back the first time?" Which answer fits the story?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Teacher, you, dove, answer · **What happens:** ask, think, come back, fit · **To what, where:** story · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 3 «Noah and the Tower of Babel» of the religion ethics 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/religion-ethics/3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Teacher asks: "Why do you think the dove came back the first time?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:t9:1
# text = Teacher asks: "Why do you think the dove came back the first time?"
1	Teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
6	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	dove	dove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	ccomp	_	_
12	back	back	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	15	amod	_	_
15	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | Teacher |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* *in a quote* | present · do-support | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **come back** *in a quote* | past | the dove |  |  |  | time |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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:* Which answer fits the story?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:t9:2
# text = Which answer fits the story?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	fits	fit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fit** | present | which answer | the story |  |  |  |  | vn adjust-26.9 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent story=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dove did not like flying so far over water

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:t9:o1:1
# text = The dove did not like flying so far over water
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dove	dove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	like	like	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	flying	fly	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	xcomp	_	_
7	so	so	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	6	advmod	_	_
9	over	over	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **like** | past · do-support | the dove |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **fly** *not said to happen* | gerund | the dove *not said here* |  |  | water |  | far *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme over water=Location |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Noah had called it back home for its dinner

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:t9:o2:1
# text = Noah had called it back home for its dinner
1	Noah	Noah	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	back	back	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	home	home	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	for	for	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	dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | past · perfect · passive |  | Noah |  |  |  | for its dinner; home *property* | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP NP»: subject=Theme it=Result |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There was still no dry land to rest on

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:t9:o3:1
# text = There was still no dry land to rest on
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	still	still	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
5	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	land	land	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	rest	rest	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	acl	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | past | no dry land |  |  | there | still |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **rest on** | to-infinitive | no dry land *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dove had lost the olive leaf on the way

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:t9:o4:1
# text = The dove had lost the olive leaf on the way
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dove	dove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	olive	olive	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	leaf	leaf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | past · perfect · passive |  | the dove |  | the way |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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.

<!-- /div -->

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