---
title: «the elephants decided to stop growing tusks so poachers leave 'em a… — Natural selection we can watch: moths,… · tree and pragmatics
description: «the elephants decided to stop growing tusks so poachers leave 'em alone, smart» What is right? Test 6 · ★★ of lesson 279 «Natural selection we can watch: moths, finches, germs and tuskless elephants» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the ques
---

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# Test 6 · ★★ · Natural selection we can watch: moths, finches, germs and…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«the elephants decided to stop growing tusks so poachers leave 'em alone, smart» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** elephants, poachers · **What happens:** decide, stop, grow, leave, be · **To what, where:** tusks, 'em

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★ of lesson 279 «Natural selection we can watch: moths, finches, germs and tuskless elephants» 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/279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants/#t6).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t6:1
# text = «the elephants decided to stop growing tusks so poachers leave 'em alone, smart» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	elephants	elephant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	decided	decide	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	stop	stop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	growing	grow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	xcomp	_	_
8	tusks	tusk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
9	so	so	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	poachers	poacher	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
11	leave	leave	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
12	'em	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
13	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	smart	smart	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
17	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	19	nsubj	_	_
18	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
19	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decide** *in a quote* | past | the elephants |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **stop** *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive | the elephants *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **grow** *in a quote* | gerund | the elephants *not said here* | tusks |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location tusk=Theme |
| 4 | **leave** *in a quote* | present | poachers | 'em *= they* |  |  |  | alone *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |
| 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, elephants chose to drop their tusks, and they taught their babies to do it too

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t6:o1:1
# text = Yes, elephants chose to drop their tusks, and they taught their babies to do it too
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	elephants	elephant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	chose	choose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	drop	drop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	tusks	tusk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	taught	teach	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
13	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	babies	baby	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
15	to	to	PART	TO	_	16	mark	_	_
16	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
17	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obj	_	_
18	too	too	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **choose** | past | elephants |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **drop** | to-infinitive | elephants *not said here* | elephants's tusks |  |  |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tusk=Theme |
| 3 | **teach** *speech: other* | past | elephants *= elephant* | elephants's babies |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent baby=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 4 | **do** | to-infinitive | elephants's babies *not said here* | it |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, elephants did not decide; tuskless ones survived more and had more babies

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t6:o2:1
# text = No, elephants did not decide; tuskless ones survived more and had more babies
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	elephants	elephant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
4	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	decide	decide	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	tuskless	tuskless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	ones	one	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
10	survived	survive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	parataxis	_	_
11	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	10	advmod	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
14	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	15	amod	_	_
15	babies	baby	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **decide** | past · do-support | elephants |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **survive** | past | tuskless ones |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **have** | past | tuskless ones *not said here* | more babies |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent baby=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the tusks were taken by zoos

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t6:o3:1
# text = No, the tusks were taken by zoos
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	tusks	tusk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	taken	take	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	zoos	zoo	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | past · passive | zoos | the tusks |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, they talked to each other about it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t6:o4:1
# text = Yes, they talked to each other about it
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	talked	talk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	each	each	DET	DT	ExtPos=PRON|PronType=Rcp	4	obl	_	_
7	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	fixed	_	_
8	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **talk** | past | they |  |  |  |  | to each; about it | vn talk-37.5 «NP V PP.co-agent PP.topic»: agent=Agent to each=Co-Agent about it=Topic |

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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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