---
title: «the rat rows facing backwards?? thats dumb» Why do rowers and scull… — Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs… · tree and pragmatics
description: «the rat rows facing backwards?? thats dumb» Why do rowers and scullers face backwards? Test 9 · ★★ of lesson 41 «Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barges and how not to tip a rowing boat» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics o
---

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# Test 9 · ★★ · Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barge…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«the rat rows facing backwards?? thats dumb» Why do rowers and scullers face backwards?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** rat, rowers · **What happens:** row, face · **To what, where:** thats

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★ of lesson 41 «Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barges and how not to tip a rowing boat» of the technology 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/technology/41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t9:1
# text = «the rat rows facing backwards?? thats dumb» Why do rowers and scullers face backwards?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	rat	rat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	rows	row	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	facing	face	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	xcomp	_	_
6	backwards	backwards	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	??	??	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
8	thats	that	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
9	dumb	dumb	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
11	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	16	advmod	_	_
12	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
13	rowers	rower	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nsubj	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	scullers	sculler	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	conj	_	_
16	face	face	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
17	backwards	backwards	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **row** *in a quote* | present | the rat | thats |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **face** *in a quote* | gerund | the rat *not said here* |  |  |  |  | backwards *property* | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **face** | present · do-support | rowers and scullers |  |  |  |  | backwards *property* | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP»: 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They pull the oars towards themselves, which is the strongest way to row

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t9:o1:1
# text = They pull the oars towards themselves, which is the strongest way to row
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	pull	pull	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	oars	oar	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	towards	towards	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	strongest	strong	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	12	amod	_	_
12	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	parataxis	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	row	row	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pull** | present | They | the oars |  |  |  | towards oars *= oar* | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent oar=Theme towards themselves=Destination |
| 2 | **is a** | present |  | the strongest way |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **row** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2 «NP.agent V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are too scared to see where they are going

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t9:o2:1
# text = They are too scared to see where they are going
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	too	too	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	scared	scared	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
7	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	10	advmod	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	going	go	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | They |  |  |  |  | scared *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **see** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 3 | **go** | present · progressive | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They want to see the people behind them on the bank

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t9:o3:1
# text = They want to see the people behind them on the bank
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nmod	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	bank	bank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **see** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | the people |  | the bank |  | behind people | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer people=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is just a silly rule invented for races in Oxford

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t9:o4:1
# text = It is just a silly rule invented for races in Oxford
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	silly	silly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	rule	rule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	invented	invent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	races	race	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Oxford	Oxford	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a silly rule |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **invent** | participle |  | a silly rule *not said here* |  | Oxford |  | for races | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for race=Beneficiary |

<!-- 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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- ↑ back to [Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barges and how not to tip a rowing boat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat/)