---
title: «lemmings are dumb, they just follow each other off cliffs, everyone… — Myth check: do lemmings jump off cliffs? · tree and pragmatics
description: «lemmings are dumb, they just follow each other off cliffs, everyone knows that» What is right? Test 1 · ★★★ of lesson 150 «Myth check: do lemmings jump off cliffs?» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's cho
---

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# Test 1 · ★★★ · Myth check: do lemmings jump off cliffs?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«lemmings are dumb, they just follow each other off cliffs, everyone knows that» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** lemmings, everyone · **What happens:** be, follow, know · **To what, where:** other cliffs, that · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★★ of lesson 150 «Myth check: do lemmings jump off cliffs?» of the biology 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/biology/150-myth-check-do-lemmings-jump-off-cliffs/#t1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:150-myth-check-do-lemmings-jump-off-cliffs:t1:1
# text = «lemmings are dumb, they just follow each other off cliffs, everyone knows that» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	lemmings	lemming	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	dumb	dumb	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
7	just	just	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	follow	follow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
9	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
10	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
11	off	off	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	_
12	cliffs	cliff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
14	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	15	nsubj	_	_
15	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
16	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
18	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	20	nsubj	_	_
19	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	cop	_	_
20	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | lemmings |  |  |  |  | dumb *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **follow** *in a quote* | present | lemmings *= lemming* | each other cliffs |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **know** *in a quote* | present | everyone | that |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer that=Stimulus |
| 4 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, only the leader decides to jump

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:150-myth-check-do-lemmings-jump-off-cliffs:t1:o1:1
# text = Yes, only the leader decides to jump
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	leader	leader	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	decides	decide	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	jump	jump	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decide** | present | the leader |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **jump** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the leader *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a myth; a 1958 film staged it by pushing lemmings off

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:150-myth-check-do-lemmings-jump-off-cliffs:t1:o2:1
# text = It is a myth; a 1958 film staged it by pushing lemmings off
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	expl	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	myth	myth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	1958	1958	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	film	film	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	staged	stage	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	pushing	push	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
13	lemmings	lemming	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
14	off	off	ADP	RP	_	12	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | a myth |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **stage** | past | a 1958 film | myth |  |  |  |  | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 3 | **push off** | gerund | a 1958 film *not said here* | lemmings |  |  |  |  | vn carry-11.4-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lemming=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, they jump into rivers to drown, not off cliffs into the sea

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:150-myth-check-do-lemmings-jump-off-cliffs:t1:o3:1
# text = No, they jump into rivers to drown, not off cliffs into the sea
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	jump	jump	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	rivers	river	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	drown	drown	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
11	off	off	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	cliffs	cliff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
13	into	into	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **jump** | present | they |  |  | rivers |  | off cliffs; into the sea | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V NP PP.source PP.destination PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent into river=Initial\_Location off cliff=Trajectory into sea=Destination |
| 2 | **drown** | to-infinitive | they *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn poison-42.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, scientists film it every year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:150-myth-check-do-lemmings-jump-off-cliffs:t1:o4:1
# text = Yes, scientists film it every year
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	film	film	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **film** | present | scientists | it |  |  | year |  | vn transcribe-25.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

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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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