---
title: It is given that a hen is observed rolling in dry earth with outstre… — Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a hen is observed rolling in dry earth with outstretched wings. Ascertain the correct interpretation. Exam question 3 of lesson 212 «Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the que
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/e3/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/) / [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/) / e3

# Exam question 3 · Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a hen is observed rolling in dry earth with outstretched wings. Ascertain the correct interpretation.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** give, observe, roll, ascertain · **To what, where:** It, hen, dry earth, correct interpretation

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 212 «Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs» 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/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/#e3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a hen is observed rolling in dry earth with outstretched wings.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e3:1
# text = It is given that a hen is observed rolling in dry earth with outstretched wings.
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	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	observed	observe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
9	rolling	roll	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	xcomp	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	earth	earth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	outstretched	outstretched	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **observe** | present · passive |  | a hen |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **roll** | gerund |  |  |  | dry earth |  | with outstretched wings | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in earth=Trajectory |

<!-- .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:* Ascertain the correct interpretation.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e3:2
# text = Ascertain the correct interpretation.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	correct	correct	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	interpretation	interpretation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	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 correct interpretation |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent interpretation=Topic |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hen is dust bathing to clean her feathers and remove mites

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e3:o1:1
# text = The hen is dust bathing to clean her feathers and remove mites
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	dust	dust	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	bathing	bathing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	remove	remove	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	_
12	mites	mite	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the hen | dust bathing |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **clean** | to-infinitive |  | her feathers |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent feather=Patient |
| 3 | **remove** | infinitive |  | mites |  |  |  |  | vn fire-10.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mite=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hen is gravely ill and near death

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e3:o2:1
# text = The hen is gravely ill and near death
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
4	gravely	gravely	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
5	ill	ill	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	near	near	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
8	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the hen | gravely ill death |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hen is endeavouring to take flight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e3:o3:1
# text = The hen is endeavouring to take flight
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	endeavouring	endeavour	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	flight	flight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **endeavour** | present · progressive | the hen |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **take** | to-infinitive | the hen *not said here* | flight |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent flight=Theme |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hen is constructing a nest underground for the eggs she will lay in spring

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e3:o4:1
# text = The hen is constructing a nest underground for the eggs she will lay in spring
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	constructing	construct	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	nest	nest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	underground	underground	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
11	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	lay	lay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	acl:relcl	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **construct** | present · progressive | the hen | a nest |  |  |  | for the eggs; underground *property* | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent nest=Result for egg=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **lay** | future | hen | the eggs *not said here* |  |  | spring |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent egg=Result |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/e2/)
- next →: [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/)