---
title: Ascertain the reason for which the shedding of the tail benefits a l… — Defences: tricks and myths: playing de… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which the shedding of the tail benefits a lizard pursued by a predator. Exam question 4 of lesson 249 «Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails, ink, and do ostriches bury their heads?» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree 
---

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# Exam question 4 · Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails,…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which the shedding of the tail benefits a lizard pursued by a predator.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, shedding, tail · **What happens:** ascertain, benefit, pursue, shed · **To what, where:** reason, lizard

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This is exam question 4 of lesson 249 «Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails, ink, and do ostriches bury their heads?» 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/249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which the shedding of the tail benefits a lizard pursued by a predator.
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	11	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	shedding	shedding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
11	benefits	benefit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	lizard	lizard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	pursued	pursue	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	predator	predator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	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 | **benefit** | present | the shedding of the tail | a lizard |  |  |  | for the reason | vn benefit-72.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer lizard=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **pursue** | participle |  | a lizard *not said here* |  |  |  | by a predator | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent by predator=Trajectory |
| 4 | **shed** |  | the tail |  |  |  |  |  | nom shedding «process intransitive»: of=agent |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tail is venomous and poisons the predator

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:e4:o1:1
# text = The tail is venomous and poisons the predator
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	venomous	venomous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	poisons	poison	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	predator	predator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the tail |  |  |  |  | venomous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **poison** | present | the tail *not said here* | the predator |  |  |  |  | vn poison-42.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent predator=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The lizard thereby becomes invisible to its attacker

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:e4:o2:1
# text = The lizard thereby becomes invisible to its attacker
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	lizard	lizard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	thereby	thereby	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	becomes	become	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	invisible	invisible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	attacker	attacker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **become** | present | the lizard |  |  |  |  | invisible, thereby *property* | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The wriggling tail engages the attention of the predator whilst the lizard escapes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:e4:o3:1
# text = The wriggling tail engages the attention of the predator whilst the lizard escapes
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	wriggling	wriggling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	engages	engage	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	attention	attention	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	predator	predator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	whilst	whilst	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	lizard	lizard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	escapes	escape	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **engage** | present | the wriggling tail | the attention of the predator |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent attention=Patient |
| 2 | **escape** | present | the lizard |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **attend** |  | the predator |  |  |  |  |  | nom attention «cognition intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tail summons other lizards to its assistance, which then drive the predator away together

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:e4:o4:1
# text = The tail summons other lizards to its assistance, which then drive the predator away together
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	summons	summon	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	lizards	lizard	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	assistance	assistance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obj	_	_
11	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	12	advmod	_	_
12	drive	drive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	predator	predator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
15	away	away	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
16	together	together	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **summon** | present | the tail |  |  |  |  |  | vn urge-58.1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **drive away** | present | other lizards to tail's assistance | the predator |  |  | then | away, together *property* | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Agent which=Theme predator=Destination |
| 3 | **assist** |  | tail |  |  |  |  |  | nom assistance «act transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- 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 -->

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- ← previous: [Defences: tricks and myths: playing de…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches/e3/)
- next →: [Plants deeper: roots and how they drin…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/250-plants-deeper-roots-and-how-they-drink-hold-and-push/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails, ink, and do ostriches bury their heads?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches/)