---
title: A goldfish darts away when the net comes in. What does that show? — Myth check: do goldfish have a three-s… · tree and pragmatics
description: A goldfish darts away when the net comes in. What does that show? Test 8 · ★ 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's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · Myth check: do goldfish have a three-second memory?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A goldfish darts away when the net comes in. What does that show?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** goldfish, net, that · **What happens:** dart away, come in, show

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ 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/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A goldfish darts away when the net comes in.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t8:1
# text = A goldfish darts away when the net comes in.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	goldfish	goldfish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	darts	dart	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	away	away	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	8	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	net	net	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	comes	come	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
9	in	in	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dart away** | present | a goldfish |  |  |  |  | away *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **come in** | present | the net |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What does that show?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t8:2
# text = What does that show?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
4	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present · do-support | that |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent what=Recipient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It wants to play chase

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t8:o1:1
# text = It wants to play chase
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	chase	chase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **play** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | chase |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent chase=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It forgot what a net is

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t8:o2:1
# text = It forgot what a net is
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	forgot	forget	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	2	ccomp	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	net	net	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **forget** | past | It |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a net |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It senses the net and avoids something that could hurt or scare it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t8:o3:1
# text = It senses the net and avoids something that could hurt or scare it
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	senses	sense	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	net	net	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	avoids	avoid	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	obj	_	_
8	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
9	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	hurt	hurt	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl:relcl	_	_
11	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	scare	scare	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	conj	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sense** | present | It | the net |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer net=Stimulus |
| 2 | **avoid** | present |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn avoid-52 «NP V NP.location»: agent=Agent something=Location |
| 3 | **hurt** | could |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 4 | **scare** | infinitive |  | net |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus it=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is trying to swim into the net because it wants to be taken out of the tank

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:152-goldfish-memory:t8:o4:1
# text = It is trying to swim into the net because it wants to be taken out of the tank
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	swim	swim	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	net	net	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	taken	take	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	xcomp	_	_
15	out	out	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	tank	tank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | present · progressive | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **swim** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  | the net |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme into net=Destination |
| 3 | **want** | present | net |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 4 | **take out** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive · passive | net *not said here* | the tank |  |  |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: tank=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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