---
title: Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning… — Myth check: do goldfish have a three-s… · tree and pragmatics
description: Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the duration of memory in the goldfish. Exam question 1 of lesson 152 «Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and
---

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# Exam question 1 · Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the duration of memory in the goldfish.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, established facts · **What happens:** select, establish, concern · **To what, where:** response, duration

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 152 «Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/152-goldfish-memory/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e1:1
# text = Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the duration of memory in the goldfish.
1	Select	select	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	xcomp	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	established	establish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
9	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	duration	duration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	memory	memory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	goldfish	goldfish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **select** | imperative | you *not said here* | the response |  |  |  | consistent *property* | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent response=Theme |
| 2 | **establish** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **concern** | gerund | the established facts *not said here* | the duration of memory in the goldfish |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus duration=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Memory is retained for a period not exceeding three seconds

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e1:o1:1
# text = Memory is retained for a period not exceeding three seconds
1	Memory	memory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	retained	retain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	exceeding	exceed	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
9	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	10	nummod	_	_
10	seconds	second	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retain** | present · passive |  | Memory |  |  | second | for a period | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **exceed** | gerund | a period *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exceed-90 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Memory is retained solely in respect of the colour gold

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e1:o2:1
# text = Memory is retained solely in respect of the colour gold
1	Memory	memory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	retained	retain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	respect	respect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retain** | present · passive |  | Memory |  | respect of the colour gold |  | solely *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **respect** |  |  | the colour gold |  |  |  |  | nom respect «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The goldfish possesses no capacity for memory whatsoever, owing to the small size of its brain

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e1:o3:1
# text = The goldfish possesses no capacity for memory whatsoever, owing to the small size of its brain
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	goldfish	goldfish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	possesses	possess	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	capacity	capacity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	memory	memory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
8	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	owing	owe	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	size	size	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	brain	brain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **possess** | present | the goldfish | no capacity |  |  |  | for memory; whatsoever *property* | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot capacity=Theme |
| 2 | **owe** | gerund | the goldfish *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to the small size of goldfish's brain *goal* | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP PP.goal»: agent=Agent to size=Goal |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Experimental evidence indicates that memories may be retained for weeks or months

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e1:o4:1
# text = Experimental evidence indicates that memories may be retained for weeks or months
1	Experimental	experimental	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	evidence	evidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	indicates	indicate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	memories	memory	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	retained	retain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	ccomp	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	weeks	week	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
11	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	months	month	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | present | Experimental evidence |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Pivot clause=Topic |
| 2 | **retain** | may · passive |  | memories |  |  | week |  | tree rules |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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