---
title: «we're moving, just chuck the goldfish in the lake, it'll be free» W… — Myth check: do goldfish have a three-s… · tree and pragmatics
description: «we're moving, just chuck the goldfish in the lake, it'll be free» What is the best answer? Test 7 · ★ 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 each option; Mova'
---

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# Test 7 · ★ · Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«we're moving, just chuck the goldfish in the lake, it'll be free» What is the best answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** we, it, best answer · **What happens:** move, chuck, be · **To what, where:** goldfish, lake · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★ of lesson 152 «Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?» 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/152-goldfish-memory/#t7).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t7:1
# text = «we're moving, just chuck the goldfish in the lake, it'll be free» What is the best answer?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	moving	move	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	17	csubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	just	just	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	chuck	chuck	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	goldfish	goldfish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	lake	lake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	'll	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	17	aux	_	_
16	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	17	cop	_	_
17	free	free	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
19	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	17	advcl	_	_
20	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
22	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	23	amod	_	_
23	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	17	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **move** *in a quote* | present · progressive | we |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **chuck** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | the goldfish |  | the lake |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent goldfish=Theme in lake=Destination |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | future | it |  |  |  |  | free *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **is a** | present | the best answer |  |  |  |  |  | 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 -->
Fine, if you do it at night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t7:o1:1
# text = Fine, if you do it at night
1	Fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
4	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present | you | it |  |  | night |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fine, goldfish belong in lakes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t7:o2:1
# text = Fine, goldfish belong in lakes
1	Fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	goldfish	goldfish	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	belong	belong	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	lakes	lake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **belong** | present | Fine goldfish |  |  | lakes |  |  | vn attend-107.4-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't; it can grow huge and harm the lake's own fish, so give it to a new owner

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t7:o3:1
# text = Don't; it can grow huge and harm the lake's own fish, so give it to a new owner
1	Do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	huge	huge	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	harm	harm	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	lake	lake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	so	so	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
17	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	obj	_	_
19	to	to	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	owner	owner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **do** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **grow** | can | it |  |  |  |  | huge *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **harm** | infinitive |  | the lake's own fish |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus fish=Experiencer |
| 4 | **give** | infinitive |  | fish | a new owner |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent it=Theme to owner=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fine, it will die within a day anyway, so it makes no difference where it goes

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t7:o4:1
# text = Fine, it will die within a day anyway, so it makes no difference where it goes
1	Fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	nsubj:outer	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	die	die	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	within	within	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	anyway	anyway	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
14	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	15	det	_	_
15	difference	difference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
16	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	18	advmod	_	_
17	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
18	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **die** | future | Fine |  |  |  | day | anyway *property* | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |
| 2 | **make** | present | it | no difference |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material difference=Product |
| 3 | **go** | present | difference |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=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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