---
title: It is given that a squirrel is observed feigning the burial of a nut… — Foxes and squirrels · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a squirrel is observed feigning the burial of a nut while another squirrel watches. Ascertain the most probable purpose. Exam question 3 of lesson 215 «Foxes and squirrels» 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/215-foxes-and-squirrels/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/) / [Foxes and squirrels](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/215-foxes-and-squirrels/) / e3

# Exam question 3 · Foxes and squirrels

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a squirrel is observed feigning the burial of a nut while another squirrel watches. Ascertain the most probable purpose.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** squirrel, you · **What happens:** give, observe, feign, watch, bury, ascertain · **To what, where:** It, squirrel, burial, nut, probable purpose

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 215 «Foxes and squirrels» 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/215-foxes-and-squirrels/#e3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a squirrel is observed feigning the burial of a nut while another squirrel watches.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:215-foxes-and-squirrels:e3:1
# text = It is given that a squirrel is observed feigning the burial of a nut while another squirrel watches.
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	squirrel	squirrel	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	feigning	feign	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	xcomp	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	burial	burial	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
15	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
16	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	17	det	_	_
17	squirrel	squirrel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj	_	_
18	watches	watch	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	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 squirrel |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **feign** | gerund |  | the burial of a nut |  |  |  |  | vn establish-55.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent burial=Patient |
| 4 | **watch** | present | another squirrel |  |  |  |  |  | vn search-35.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **bury** |  |  | a nut |  |  |  |  | nom burial «event transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 purpose.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:215-foxes-and-squirrels:e3:2
# text = Ascertain the most probable purpose.
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	purpose	purpose	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 purpose |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent purpose=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To deceive a potential thief

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:215-foxes-and-squirrels:e3:o1:1
# text = To deceive a potential thief
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	deceive	deceive	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	potential	potential	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	thief	thief	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **deceive** | to-infinitive |  | a potential thief |  |  |  |  | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thief=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To cause the nut to germinate

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:215-foxes-and-squirrels:e3:o2:1
# text = To cause the nut to germinate
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	cause	cause	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	germinate	germinate	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cause** | to-infinitive |  | the nut |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **germinate** | to-infinitive | the nut *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn entity\_specific\_cos-45.5 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To exercise the muscles of its forepaws

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:215-foxes-and-squirrels:e3:o3:1
# text = To exercise the muscles of its forepaws
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	exercise	exercise	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	muscles	muscle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	forepaws	forepaw	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exercise** | to-infinitive |  | the muscles of its forepaws |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent muscle=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To conceal the nut from the farmer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:215-foxes-and-squirrels:e3:o4:1
# text = To conceal the nut from the farmer
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	conceal	conceal	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **conceal** | to-infinitive |  | the nut |  |  |  | from the farmer | vn concealment-16 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent nut=Patient from farmer=Beneficiary |

<!-- 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: [Foxes and squirrels, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/215-foxes-and-squirrels/e2/)
- next →: [Foxes and squirrels, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/215-foxes-and-squirrels/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Foxes and squirrels](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/215-foxes-and-squirrels/)