---
title: Ascertain the reason for which the burrowing owl distributes animal… — Owls of the world: barn owls, eagle ow… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which the burrowing owl distributes animal dung around the entrance to its burrow. Exam question 3 of lesson 301 «Owls of the world: barn owls, eagle owls, elf owls and burrowing owls» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of
---

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# Exam question 3 · Owls of the world: barn owls, eagle owls, elf owls and bur…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which the burrowing owl distributes animal dung around the entrance to its burrow.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, burrowing owl · **What happens:** ascertain, burrow, distribute · **To what, where:** reason, animal dung, burrow, entrance

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 301 «Owls of the world: barn owls, eagle owls, elf owls and burrowing owls» 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/301-owls-of-the-world-barn-owls-eagle-owls-elf-owls-and-burrowing-owls/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:301-owls-of-the-world-barn-owls-eagle-owls-elf-owls-and-burrowing-owls:e3:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which the burrowing owl distributes animal dung around the entrance to its burrow.
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	9	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	burrowing	burrow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	amod	_	_
8	owl	owl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	distributes	distribute	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl	_	_
10	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	dung	dung	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	around	around	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	entrance	entrance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
15	to	to	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	burrow	burrow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	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 | **burrow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn rummage-35.5 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **distribute** | present | the burrowing owl | animal dung | owl's burrow | the entrance |  | for the reason | vn contribute-13.2-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent dung=Theme to burrow=Recipient |

<!-- .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 dung conceals the scent of the eggs and chicks from all predators

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:301-owls-of-the-world-barn-owls-eagle-owls-elf-owls-and-burrowing-owls:e3:o1:1
# text = The dung conceals the scent of the eggs and chicks from all predators
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dung	dung	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	conceals	conceal	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	scent	scent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	chicks	chick	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
11	from	from	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	13	det	_	_
13	predators	predator	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **conceal** | present | the dung | the scent of the eggs and chicks |  | all predators |  |  | vn concealment-16 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent scent=Patient from predator=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **scent** |  |  | the eggs and chicks |  |  |  |  | nom scent «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dung serves as food for the owl's chicks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:301-owls-of-the-world-barn-owls-eagle-owls-elf-owls-and-burrowing-owls:e3:o2:1
# text = The dung serves as food for the owl's chicks
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dung	dung	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	serves	serve	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	as	as	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	owl	owl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	chicks	chick	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | the dung |  |  |  |  | as food; for the owl's chicks | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as food=Attribute |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dung insulates the burrow against the cold of winter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:301-owls-of-the-world-barn-owls-eagle-owls-elf-owls-and-burrowing-owls:e3:o3:1
# text = The dung insulates the burrow against the cold of winter
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dung	dung	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	insulates	insulate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	burrow	burrow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	against	against	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cold	cold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **insulate** | present | the dung | the burrow |  |  |  | against the cold of winter | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent burrow=Destination |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dung attracts dung beetles, which the owl subsequently consumes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:301-owls-of-the-world-barn-owls-eagle-owls-elf-owls-and-burrowing-owls:e3:o4:1
# text = The dung attracts dung beetles, which the owl subsequently consumes
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dung	dung	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	attracts	attract	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	dung	dung	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	beetles	beetle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	obj	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	owl	owl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
10	subsequently	subsequently	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	consumes	consume	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **attract** | present | the dung | dung beetles |  |  |  |  | vn lure-59.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent beetle=Patient |
| 2 | **consume** | present | the owl | dung beetles |  |  |  | subsequently *property* | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent which=Asset |

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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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