---
title: Mila asks the vicar, «Why can't God just make us live for ever here?… — Why living things die, and the circle… · tree and pragmatics
description: Mila asks the vicar, «Why can't God just make us live for ever here?» What would the vicar most likely say? Test 10 · ★ of lesson 53 «Why living things die, and the circle of life in nature» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the questi
---

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# Test 10 · ★ · Why living things die, and the circle of life in nature

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mila asks the vicar, «Why can't God just make us live for ever here?» What would the vicar most likely say?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Mila, God, us, vicar · **What happens:** ask, not make, not live, say · **To what, where:** vicar, us · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is test 10 · ★ of lesson 53 «Why living things die, and the circle of life in nature» 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/53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life/#t10).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Mila asks the vicar, «Why can't God just make us live for ever here?»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t10:1
# text = Mila asks the vicar, «Why can't God just make us live for ever here?»
1	Mila	Mila	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	vicar	vicar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
6	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
8	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
10	God	God	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
11	just	just	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	parataxis	_	_
13	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
14	live	live	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
15	for	for	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	17	advmod	_	_
17	here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | Mila | the vicar |  |  |  |  | vn urge-58.1-1-1 «NP V NP that S»: agent=Agent vicar=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **make** *in a quote* | can | God | us |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **live** *in a quote* | infinitive | us *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «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:* What would the vicar most likely say?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t10:2
# text = What would the vicar most likely say?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	7	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	vicar	vicar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	6	advmod	_	_
6	likely	likely	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | would | the vicar |  |  |  |  | likely *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only vicars get to live for ever

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t10:o1:1
# text = Only vicars get to live for ever
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	vicars	vicar	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	live	live	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | vicars |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **live** | to-infinitive | vicars *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Everyone lives for ever on earth if they pray hard enough every day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t10:o2:1
# text = Everyone lives for ever on earth if they pray hard enough every day
1	Everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	2	nsubj	_	_
2	lives	live	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	2	obl	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	earth	earth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	pray	pray	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
10	hard	hard	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	9	advmod	_	_
11	enough	enough	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
12	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	13	det	_	_
13	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **live** | present | Everyone |  |  | earth |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on earth=Location |
| 2 | **pray** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | they |  |  |  | day | enough, hard *property* | vn long-32.2 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Christians believe death is not the end, because Jesus rose again

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t10:o3:1
# text = Christians believe death is not the end, because Jesus rose again
1	Christians	Christian	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	believe	believe	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	Jesus	Jesus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	rose	rise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
12	again	again	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **believe** | present | Christians |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **not** **is a** | present | death | the end |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **rise** | past | Jesus |  |  |  | again |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
God has forgotten about the people who die

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t10:o4:1
# text = God has forgotten about the people who die
1	God	God	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	forgotten	forget	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
8	die	die	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **forget** | present · perfect | God |  |  |  |  | about the people | tree rules |
| 2 | **die** | present | the people |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

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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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- ↑ back to [Why living things die, and the circle of life in nature](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life/)