---
title: A judge asks: "Is it ever right to kill an insect?" Which answer is… — Animals · tree and pragmatics
description: A judge asks: "Is it ever right to kill an insect?" Which answer is best-reasoned? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 46 «Animals» 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 wrong.
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · Animals

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A judge asks: "Is it ever right to kill an insect?" Which answer is best-reasoned?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** judge · **What happens:** ask, be, reason · **To what, where:** answer · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 46 «Animals» 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/46-animals/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A judge asks: "Is it ever right to kill an insect?"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:46-animals:t8:1
# text = A judge asks: "Is it ever right to kill an insect?"
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	judge	judge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	3	punct	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
8	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	9	advmod	_	_
9	right	right	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	kill	kill	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	_
12	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	insect	insect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | a judge |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **is** *not said to happen, in a quote* | present | judge |  |  |  |  | kill, right *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 is best-reasoned?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:46-animals:t8:2
# text = Which answer is best-reasoned?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
4	best	well	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	reasoned	reason	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reason** | present · passive |  | which answer |  |  |  | well *property* | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Always, because insects are tiny and don't count

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:46-animals:t8:o1:1
# text = Always, because insects are tiny and don't count
1	Always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
4	insects	insect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	tiny	tiny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	count	count	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | insects |  |  |  |  | always, tiny *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **count** | present · do-support | insects *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Never, because every single insect matters exactly as much as a person

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:46-animals:t8:o2:1
# text = Never, because every single insect matters exactly as much as a person
1	Never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
5	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	insect	insect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	matters	matter	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	as	as	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	advmod	_	_
11	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **matter** | present | every single insect |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I don't know, because it's an insect question

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:46-animals:t8:o3:1
# text = I don't know, because it's an insect question
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
6	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
9	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	insect	insect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **know** | present · do-support | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **is a** | present | it | a insect question |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sometimes, for safety or health, but killing just for fun is wrong

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:46-animals:t8:o4:1
# text = Sometimes, for safety or health, but killing just for fun is wrong
1	Sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	safety	safety	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	health	health	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
8	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
9	killing	kill	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	csubj	_	_
10	just	just	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	fun	fun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
13	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
14	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **kill** | gerund |  | fun |  |  |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fun=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | killing |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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