---
title: «found a curly stone on the beach, my nan says it's a snake turned i… — Fossils: how a living thing turns to s… · tree and pragmatics
description: «found a curly stone on the beach, my nan says it's a snake turned into stone» What is right? Test 1 of lesson 275 «Fossils: how a living thing turns to stone and how we dig it up» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

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# Test 1 · Fossils: how a living thing turns to stone and how we dig…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«found a curly stone on the beach, my nan says it's a snake turned into stone» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** nan · **What happens:** find, say, be, turn · **To what, where:** curly stone, beach, snake, stone · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 of lesson 275 «Fossils: how a living thing turns to stone and how we dig it up» 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/275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up/#t1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up:t1:1
# text = «found a curly stone on the beach, my nan says it's a snake turned into stone» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	curly	curly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	beach	beach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	nan	nan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	ccomp	_	_
17	turned	turn	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	acl	_	_
18	into	into	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
21	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	23	nsubj	_	_
22	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	23	cop	_	_
23	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** *in a quote* | past |  | a curly stone |  | the beach |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent stone=Topic |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present | my nan |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | nan | a snake |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **turn** *in a quote* | participle |  | a snake *not said here* |  | stone |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | right *property* | 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 -->
Yes, snakes curl up tight and then turn to stone when they die

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up:t1:o1:1
# text = Yes, snakes curl up tight and then turn to stone when they die
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	snakes	snake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	curl	curl	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	up	up	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	tight	tight	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	9	advmod	_	_
9	turn	turn	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
12	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
13	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	die	die	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **curl up** | present | snakes |  |  |  |  | tight *property* | vn coil-9.6-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **turn** | infinitive | snakes *not said here* |  |  | stone | then |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme to stone=Trajectory |
| 3 | **die** | present | snakes *= snake* |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a stone polished by waves, never alive

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up:t1:o2:1
# text = It is a stone polished by waves, never alive
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	polished	polish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	waves	wave	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl:agent	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	alive	alive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a stone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **polish** | participle |  | a stone *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a snail that died last summer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up:t1:o3:1
# text = It is a snail that died last summer
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	snail	snail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	died	die	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	summer	summer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a snail |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **die** | past | a snail |  |  |  | summer |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is most likely an ammonite, a sea animal with a coiled shell

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up:t1:o4:1
# text = It is most likely an ammonite, a sea animal with a coiled shell
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
4	likely	likely	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	ammonite	ammonite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	coiled	coiled	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a ammonite |  |  |  | likely *property* | 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 -->

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- ↑ back to [Fossils: how a living thing turns to stone and how we dig it up](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/275-fossils-how-a-living-thing-turns-to-stone-and-how-we-dig-it-up/)