---
title: My cousin found 8 rings on a rattle and says the snake is 8 years ol… — Snakes and lizards · tree and pragmatics
description: My cousin found 8 rings on a rattle and says the snake is 8 years old. Is he right? Test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 30 «Snakes and lizards» 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 3 · ★★★ · Snakes and lizards

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
My cousin found 8 rings on a rattle and says the snake is 8 years old. Is he right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cousin, snake · **What happens:** find, say, be · **To what, where:** 8 rings, rattle · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 30 «Snakes and lizards» 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/30-snakes-and-lizards/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* My cousin found 8 rings on a rattle and says the snake is 8 years old.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:t3:1
# text = My cousin found 8 rings on a rattle and says the snake is 8 years old.
1	My	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	8	8	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	rings	ring	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	rattle	rattle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
13	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
14	8	8	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	15	nummod	_	_
15	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obl:unmarked	_	_
16	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | My cousin | 8 rings |  | a rattle |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ring=Topic |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | My cousin *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | the snake |  |  |  | year | old *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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Is he right?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:t3:2
# text = Is he right?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | snake |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, one ring grows each birthday

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:t3:o1:1
# text = Yes, one ring grows each birthday
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
3	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nummod	_	_
4	ring	ring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	grows	grow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	birthday	birthday	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | present | one ring | each birthday |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location birthday=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only for desert rattlesnakes, as they grow one a year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:t3:o2:1
# text = Yes, but only for desert rattlesnakes, as they grow one a year
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	11	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	rattlesnakes	rattlesnake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	grow	grow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	11	obj	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | present | desert rattlesnakes | one |  |  | year |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location one=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, rattles have no rings

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:t3:o3:1
# text = No, rattles have no rings
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	rattles	rattle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	rings	ring	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | rattles | no rings |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ring=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, a ring is added at each shed, and snakes shed more than once a year

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:t3:o4:1
# text = No, a ring is added at each shed, and snakes shed more than once a year
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ring	ring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	added	add	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	9	det	_	_
9	shed	shed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	snakes	snake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
13	shed	shed	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
14	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp|ExtPos=ADV	13	obj	_	_
15	than	than	ADP	IN	_	14	fixed	_	_
16	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	13	advmod	_	_
17	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | present · passive |  | a ring |  | each shed |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **shed** | past | snakes | more |  |  |  | once *property* | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location more=Source |

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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.

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