---
title: Identify the principal reason for which a small spherical bowl is un… — Myth check: do goldfish have a three-s… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which a small spherical bowl is unsuitable for the keeping of goldfish. Exam question 2 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 of
---

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# Exam question 2 · Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which a small spherical bowl is unsuitable for the keeping of goldfish.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, small spherical bowl · **What happens:** identify, be, keep · **To what, where:** principal reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 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/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which a small spherical bowl is unsuitable for the keeping of goldfish.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
9	spherical	spherical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	unsuitable	unsuitable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	acl	_	_
13	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	keeping	keep	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	advcl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	goldfish	goldfish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | a small spherical bowl |  |  |  |  | for the principal reason; unsuitable *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **keep** | gerund | a small spherical bowl *not said here* |  |  |  |  | of goldfish | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 -->
The bowl admits an excess of daylight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e2:o1:1
# text = The bowl admits an excess of daylight
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	admits	admit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	excess	excess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	daylight	daylight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **admit** *speech: other* | present | the bowl | a excess of daylight |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent excess=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The fish is compelled to grow to the exact dimensions of the bowl and then cease growing entirely

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e2:o2:1
# text = The fish is compelled to grow to the exact dimensions of the bowl and then cease growing entirely
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	compelled	compel	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	exact	exact	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	dimensions	dimension	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	16	advmod	_	_
16	cease	cease	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
17	growing	grow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	16	xcomp	_	_
18	entirely	entirely	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **compel** | present · passive |  | the fish |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: subject=Patient clause=Result |
| 2 | **grow** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | to the exact dimensions of the bowl | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **cease** | present |  |  |  |  | then |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 4 | **grow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | entirely *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Waste accumulates rapidly and the water becomes deficient in oxygen

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e2:o3:1
# text = Waste accumulates rapidly and the water becomes deficient in oxygen
1	Waste	waste	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	accumulates	accumulate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	rapidly	rapidly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	becomes	become	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
8	deficient	deficient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	oxygen	oxygen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accumulate** | present | Waste |  |  |  |  | rapidly *property* | vn herd-47.5.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **become** | present | the water |  |  |  |  | in oxygen *result*; deficient *property* | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient in oxygen=Result |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The curvature of the glass induces confusion in the fish

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:e2:o4:1
# text = The curvature of the glass induces confusion in the fish
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	curvature	curvature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	induces	induce	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	confusion	confusion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **induce** | present | the curvature of the glass | confusion |  |  |  | in the fish | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent confusion=Patient |
| 2 | **curve** |  |  | the glass |  |  |  |  | nom curvature «state transitive»: of=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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