---
title: Your brother says, «Lions are evil, they murder zebras.» Which reply… — Why living things die, and the circle… · tree and pragmatics
description: Your brother says, «Lions are evil, they murder zebras.» Which reply is best? Test 4 · ★ 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 question and of each option; Mova's c
---

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# Test 4 · ★ · Why living things die, and the circle of life in nature

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your brother says, «Lions are evil, they murder zebras.» Which reply is best?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** brother, Lions, reply · **What happens:** say, be, murder · **To what, where:** zebras · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ 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/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your brother says, «Lions are evil, they murder zebras.»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t4:1
# text = Your brother says, «Lions are evil, they murder zebras.»
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Lions	lion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	evil	evil	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	murder	murder	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	parataxis	_	_
12	zebras	zebra	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | Lions |  |  |  |  | evil *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **murder** *in a quote* | present | Lions *= lion* | zebras |  |  |  |  | vn murder-42.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent zebra=Patient |

<!-- .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 reply is best?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t4:2
# text = Which reply is best?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	reply	reply	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | which reply |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lions hunt to eat; feeling sad for the zebra is fine, but lions are not cruel on purpose

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t4:o1:1
# text = Lions hunt to eat; feeling sad for the zebra is fine, but lions are not cruel on purpose
1	Lions	lion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	hunt	hunt	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
6	feeling	feel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	csubj	_	_
7	sad	sad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	zebra	zebra	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
14	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
15	lions	lion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nsubj	_	_
16	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
17	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	18	advmod	_	_
18	cruel	cruel	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
19	on	on	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hunt** | present | Lions |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **eat** | to-infinitive | Lions *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **feel** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | for the zebra; sad *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **is** | present | feeling |  |  |  |  | fine *property* | tree rules |
| 5 | **not** **is** | present | lions |  |  | purpose |  | cruel *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Zebras deserve it for being slow

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t4:o2:1
# text = Zebras deserve it for being slow
1	Zebras	zebra	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	deserve	deserve	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	cop	_	_
6	slow	slow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **deserve** | present | Zebras | it |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | slow *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is right, lions kill for fun only

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t4:o3:1
# text = He is right, lions kill for fun only
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	lions	lion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	kill	kill	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	fun	fun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
9	only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **kill** | present | lions |  |  |  |  | for fun | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is right, lions should be locked up for ever

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life:t4:o4:1
# text = He is right, lions should be locked up for ever
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	lions	lion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	locked	lock	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	parataxis	_	_
9	up	up	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **lock up** | should · passive |  | lions |  |  |  |  | vn tape-22.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

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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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