---
title: «are we even human then if half of us is bacteria» What is the best… — The microscopic world: bacteria, good… · tree and pragmatics
description: «are we even human then if half of us is bacteria» What is the best answer? Test 8 of lesson 257 «The microscopic world: bacteria, good and bad» 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 right.
---

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# Test 8 · The microscopic world: bacteria, good and bad

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«are we even human then if half of us is bacteria» What is the best answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** we, half · **What happens:** be · **To what, where:** bacteria, best answer · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 of lesson 257 «The microscopic world: bacteria, good and bad» of the biology course of Mova's primary school. 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/257-the-microscopic-world-bacteria-good-and-bad/#t8).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:257-the-microscopic-world-bacteria-good-and-bad:t8:1
# text = «are we even human then if half of us is bacteria» What is the best answer?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	even	even	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	human	human	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	csubj	_	_
6	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	12	advmod	_	_
7	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
8	half	half	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing|NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac	12	nsubj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	nmod	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	bacteria	bacteria	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
14	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	18	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	18	amod	_	_
18	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	18	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | we |  |  |  |  | human *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | present | half of us | bacteria |  |  | then |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** *speech: assert* | present |  | the best answer |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
No, bacteria cannot live inside people

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:257-the-microscopic-world-bacteria-good-and-bad:t8:o1:1
# text = No, bacteria cannot live inside people
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	bacteria	bacterium	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	live	live	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	inside	inside	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **live** | can | bacteria |  |  |  |  | inside people | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme inside people=Location |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We are human, with a crowd of mostly helpful bacteria living with us

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:257-the-microscopic-world-bacteria-good-and-bad:t8:o2:1
# text = We are human, with a crowd of mostly helpful bacteria living with us
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	human	human	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	crowd	crowd	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	mostly	mostly	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	helpful	helpful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	bacteria	bacterium	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
12	living	live	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	acl	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | We |  |  |  |  | human *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **live** | gerund | helpful bacteria *not said here* |  |  |  |  | with us | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme with we=Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but the bacteria in our guts control our brains and choose what we do

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:257-the-microscopic-world-bacteria-good-and-bad:t8:o3:1
# text = Yes, but the bacteria in our guts control our brains and choose what we do
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	bacteria	bacteria	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	guts	gut	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
9	control	control	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	brains	brain	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	choose	choose	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	conj	_	_
14	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	16	obj	_	_
15	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **control** | present | the bacteria in our guts | our brains |  |  |  |  | vn enforce-63 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent brain=Theme |
| 2 | **choose** | infinitive | the bacteria in our guts *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **do** | present | we |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, we are really bacteria dressed up in a human costume

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:257-the-microscopic-world-bacteria-good-and-bad:t8:o4:1
# text = No, we are really bacteria dressed up in a human costume
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	really	really	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	bacteria	bacterium	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
7	dressed	dress	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	up	up	ADP	RP	_	7	compound:prt	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	human	human	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	costume	costume	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | we | bacteria |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **dress up** | participle |  | bacteria *not said here* |  | a human costume |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=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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