---
title: «my mate says blue whales are smaller than the biggest dinosaurs» Wh… — The Southern Ocean: blue whales, colos… · tree and pragmatics
description: «my mate says blue whales are smaller than the biggest dinosaurs» What is right? Test 2 of lesson 171 «The Southern Ocean: blue whales, colossal squid and life under the ice» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; M
---

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# Test 2 · The Southern Ocean: blue whales, colossal squid and life u…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«my mate says blue whales are smaller than the biggest dinosaurs» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** mate, blue whales · **What happens:** say, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 of lesson 171 «The Southern Ocean: blue whales, colossal squid and life under the ice» 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/171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice/#t2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice:t2:1
# text = «my mate says blue whales are smaller than the biggest dinosaurs» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	whales	whale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	smaller	small	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	4	ccomp	_	_
9	than	than	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	biggest	big	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	12	amod	_	_
12	dinosaurs	dinosaur	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
14	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	16	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
16	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | my mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | blue whales |  |  |  |  | small *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | than the biggest dinosaurs; right *property* | 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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the blue whale is the biggest animal that has ever lived

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice:t2:o1:1
# text = No, the blue whale is the biggest animal that has ever lived
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	whale	whale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	biggest	big	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	9	amod	_	_
9	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
11	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
12	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	13	advmod	_	_
13	lived	live	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	9	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the blue whale | the biggest animal |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **live** | present · perfect | the biggest animal |  |  |  | ever |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, the blue whale is only a medium-sized animal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice:t2:o2:1
# text = Yes, the blue whale is only a medium-sized animal
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	12	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	whale	whale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
7	only	only	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
9	medium	medium	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	sized	size	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	amod	_	_
12	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **size** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** | present | the blue whale | a sized animal |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, sharks are the biggest animals that have ever lived in the sea

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice:t2:o3:1
# text = No, sharks are the biggest animals that have ever lived in the sea
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	sharks	shark	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	biggest	big	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	7	amod	_	_
7	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
8	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
9	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
10	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	11	advmod	_	_
11	lived	live	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	7	acl:relcl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | sharks | the biggest animals |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **live** | present · perfect | the biggest animals |  |  | the sea | ever |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in sea=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, dinosaurs were always bigger

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice:t2:o4:1
# text = Yes, dinosaurs were always bigger
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	3	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	dinosaurs	dinosaur	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
4	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	6	advmod	_	_
6	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | dinosaurs |  |  |  |  | always, big *property* | 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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- ↑ back to [The Southern Ocean: blue whales, colossal squid and life under the ice](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/171-the-southern-ocean-blue-whales-colossal-squid-and-life-under-the-ice/)