---
title: It is given that a newly hatched duckling follows a person in prefer… — Ducks, geese and farm myths · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a newly hatched duckling follows a person in preference to its mother. Ascertain the most probable explanation. Exam question 3 of lesson 213 «Ducks, geese and farm myths» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths/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/) / [Ducks, geese and farm myths](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths/) / e3

# Exam question 3 · Ducks, geese and farm myths

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a newly hatched duckling follows a person in preference to its mother. Ascertain the most probable explanation.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** hatched duckling, you · **What happens:** give, hatch, follow, ascertain · **To what, where:** It, person, preference, probable explanation

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 213 «Ducks, geese and farm myths» 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/213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths/#e3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a newly hatched duckling follows a person in preference to its mother.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths:e3:1
# text = It is given that a newly hatched duckling follows a person in preference to its mother.
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	_	9	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	newly	newly	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	hatched	hatch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	duckling	duckling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	follows	follow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	preference	preference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	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 | **hatch** | participle |  |  |  |  |  | newly *property* | vn grow-26.2.1 «NP.patient V PP.product»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **follow** | present | a hatched duckling | a person |  | preference to duckling's mother |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent person=Theme in preference=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 most probable explanation.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths:e3:2
# text = Ascertain the most probable explanation.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
3	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
4	probable	probable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	explanation	explanation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	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 probable explanation |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent explanation=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ducklings follow whoever carries bread

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths:e3:o1:1
# text = Ducklings follow whoever carries bread
1	Ducklings	duckling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	follow	follow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	whoever	whoever	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
4	carries	carry	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
5	bread	bread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | present | Ducklings |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **carry** | present | whoever | bread |  |  |  |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bread=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The mother has instructed the duckling to do so

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths:e3:o2:1
# text = The mother has instructed the duckling to do so
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	duckling	duckling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	acl	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **instruct** *speech: other* | present · perfect · passive |  | the mother |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The duckling imprinted upon the first moving object it perceived

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths:e3:o3:1
# text = The duckling imprinted upon the first moving object it perceived
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	duckling	duckling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	imprinted	imprint	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	8	amod	_	_
7	moving	move	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	amod	_	_
8	object	object	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	perceived	perceive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **imprint** | participle |  | the duckling *not said here* |  | the first moving object |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.theme PP.destination»: agent=Agent upon object=Destination |
| 2 | **move** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **perceive** | past | object | the first moving object *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer object=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The person resembles a duck in plumage

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths:e3:o4:1
# text = The person resembles a duck in plumage
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	resembles	resemble	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	duck	duck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	plumage	plumage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **resemble** | present | the person | a duck |  | plumage |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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: [Ducks, geese and farm myths, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths/e2/)
- next →: [Ducks, geese and farm myths, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Ducks, geese and farm myths](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/213-ducks-geese-and-farm-myths/)