---
title: Ascertain the reason for which a veterinary surgeon measures the wei… — The vet · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which a veterinary surgeon measures the weight of a small animal such as a hamster. Exam question 4 of lesson 227 «The vet» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Exam question 4 · The vet

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which a veterinary surgeon measures the weight of a small animal such as a hamster.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, veterinary surgeon · **What happens:** ascertain, measure · **To what, where:** reason, weight

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 227 «The vet» 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/227-the-vet/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:227-the-vet:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which a veterinary surgeon measures the weight of a small animal such as a hamster.
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	9	obl	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	veterinary	veterinary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	surgeon	surgeon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	measures	measure	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
16	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	19	case	_	_
17	as	as	ADP	IN	_	16	fixed	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	hamster	hamster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	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 | **measure** | present | a veterinary surgeon | the weight of a small animal such a hamster |  |  |  | for the reason | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme weight=Value |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The weight determines the price at which the animal may be sold

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:227-the-vet:e4:o1:1
# text = The weight determines the price at which the animal may be sold
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	determines	determine	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	price	price	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	sold	sell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | present | the weight | the price |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent price=Topic |
| 2 | **sell** | may · passive |  | the animal |  | the price |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.asset»: subject=Theme at which=Asset |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A loss of weight may constitute the earliest indication of illness

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:227-the-vet:e4:o2:1
# text = A loss of weight may constitute the earliest indication of illness
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	loss	loss	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	constitute	constitute	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	earliest	early	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	9	amod	_	_
9	indication	indication	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	illness	illness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **constitute** | may | a loss of weight | the earliest indication of illness |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme indication=Pivot |
| 2 | **indicate** |  |  | illness |  |  |  |  | nom indication «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The weight determines the speed at which the animal can run

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:227-the-vet:e4:o3:1
# text = The weight determines the speed at which the animal can run
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	determines	determine	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	speed	speed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	obl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
10	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	run	run	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | present | the weight | the speed |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent speed=Topic |
| 2 | **run** | can | the animal |  |  | the speed |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at which=Trajectory |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The weight is recorded solely for the selection of a cage of suitable dimensions

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:227-the-vet:e4:o4:1
# text = The weight is recorded solely for the selection of a cage of suitable dimensions
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	recorded	record	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	selection	selection	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	cage	cage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	suitable	suitable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	dimensions	dimension	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **record** | present · passive |  | the weight |  |  |  | for the selection of a cage of suitable dimensions; solely *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **select** |  |  | a cage of suitable dimensions |  |  |  |  | nom selection «act transitive»: of=patient |

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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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