---
title: Ascertain the reason for which the hippopotamus progresses along the… — The Congo river: tigerfish, the deepes… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which the hippopotamus progresses along the riverbed rather than swimming. Exam question 4 of lesson 160 «The Congo river: tigerfish, the deepest river, lungfish and hidden birds» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Exam question 4 · The Congo river: tigerfish, the deepest river, lungfish an…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which the hippopotamus progresses along the riverbed rather than swimming.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, hippopotamus · **What happens:** ascertain, progress, swim · **To what, where:** reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 160 «The Congo river: tigerfish, the deepest river, lungfish and hidden birds» 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/160-the-congo-river/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:160-the-congo-river:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which the hippopotamus progresses along the riverbed rather than swimming.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	hippopotamus	hippopotamus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	progresses	progress	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl	_	_
9	along	along	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	riverbed	riverbed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	rather	rather	ADV	RB	ExtPos=CCONJ	14	cc	_	_
13	than	than	ADP	IN	_	12	fixed	_	_
14	swimming	swim	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |
| 2 | **progress** | present | the hippopotamus |  |  |  |  | for the reason; along the riverbed | vn entity\_specific\_cos-45.5 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **swim** | gerund | the hippopotamus *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its great weight causes it to sink, and it is unable to swim in the proper sense

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:160-the-congo-river:e4:o1:1
# text = Its great weight causes it to sink, and it is unable to swim in the proper sense
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	causes	cause	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	sink	sink	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	unable	unable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	swim	swim	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	proper	proper	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	sense	sense	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cause** | present | Its great weight | it |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **sink** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **is** | present | it |  |  |  |  | unable *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **swim** | to-infinitive |  |  |  | the proper sense |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in sense=Trajectory |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It pursues fish upon the riverbed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:160-the-congo-river:e4:o2:1
# text = It pursues fish upon the riverbed
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	pursues	pursue	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	riverbed	riverbed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pursue** | present | It | fish |  | the riverbed |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent fish=Theme upon riverbed=Trajectory |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is pursued upon the surface by crocodiles

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:160-the-congo-river:e4:o3:1
# text = It is pursued upon the surface by crocodiles
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	pursued	pursue	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	crocodiles	crocodile	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pursue** | present · passive | crocodiles | It |  | the surface |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent subject=Theme upon surface=Trajectory |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It avoids the warmth of the surface water and remains in the cool mud at all times

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:160-the-congo-river:e4:o4:1
# text = It avoids the warmth of the surface water and remains in the cool mud at all times
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	avoids	avoid	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	warmth	warmth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	remains	remain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	cool	cool	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	mud	mud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	17	det	_	_
17	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **avoid** | present | It | the warmth of the surface water |  |  |  |  | vn avoid-52 «NP V NP.location»: agent=Agent warmth=Location |
| 2 | **remain** | present |  |  |  | the cool mud | time |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in mud=Location |

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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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