---
title: «stand on an ostrich egg? it'll smash, obviously» What is right? — Myth check: do ostriches bury their he… · tree and pragmatics
description: «stand on an ostrich egg? it'll smash, obviously» What is right? Test 8 of lesson 151 «Myth check: do ostriches bury their heads in the sand?» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 8 · Myth check: do ostriches bury their heads in the sand?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«stand on an ostrich egg? it'll smash, obviously» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, egg · **What happens:** stand, smash, be · **To what, where:** ostrich egg · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 of lesson 151 «Myth check: do ostriches bury their heads in the sand?» 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/151-ostriches-and-heads-in-the-sand/#t8).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:151-ostriches-and-heads-in-the-sand:t8:1
# text = «stand on an ostrich egg? it'll smash, obviously» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	stand	stand	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	ostrich	ostrich	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	smash	smash	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
12	obviously	obviously	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
14	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	16	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
16	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stand** *in a quote* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  | a ostrich egg |  | obviously *property* | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **smash** *in a quote* | future | egg |  |  |  |  |  | vn carve-21.2-1 «NP V ADVP-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **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 -->
It only holds if it is cooked

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:151-ostriches-and-heads-in-the-sand:t8:o1:1
# text = It only holds if it is cooked
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	holds	hold	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	cooked	cook	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **cook** *a condition, not said to happen* | present · passive |  | it |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «NP V NP.patient»: subject=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it's as thin as a hen's egg

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:151-ostriches-and-heads-in-the-sand:t8:o2:1
# text = Yes, it's as thin as a hen's egg
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	as	as	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	thin	thin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	as	as	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | it |  |  |  |  | as a hen's egg; thin *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its shell is so strong a grown-up can stand on it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:151-ostriches-and-heads-in-the-sand:t8:o3:1
# text = Its shell is so strong a grown-up can stand on it
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	so	so	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
7	grown	grow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	up	up	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
10	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	stand	stand	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
12	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Its shell |  |  |  |  | strong *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **grow** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **stand** | can | a grown up |  |  | shell |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent on it=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, they are so thin that they break if you even look at them

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:151-ostriches-and-heads-in-the-sand:t8:o4:1
# text = Yes, they are so thin that they break if you even look at them
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	thin	thin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	break	break	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
10	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
11	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	even	even	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	look	look	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | they |  |  |  |  | thin *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **break** | present | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **look** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | you |  |  |  |  | at them *= they* | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at they=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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