---
title: «dad reckons the macaws at the riverbank are eating mud cos they're… — Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoo… · tree and pragmatics
description: «dad reckons the macaws at the riverbank are eating mud cos they're starving» What is best? Test 9 of lesson 303 «Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoos, African greys, lorikeets and the cheeky kea» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the quest
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea/t9/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/) / [Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoo…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea/) / t9

# Test 9 · Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoos, African greys, lo…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«dad reckons the macaws at the riverbank are eating mud cos they're starving» What is best?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** dad, macaws · **What happens:** reckon, eat, starve, be · **To what, where:** mud · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 of lesson 303 «Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoos, African greys, lorikeets and the cheeky kea» 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/303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea:t9:1
# text = «dad reckons the macaws at the riverbank are eating mud cos they're starving» What is best?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	reckons	reckon	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	macaws	macaw	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	riverbank	riverbank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	eating	eat	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	ccomp	_	_
11	mud	mud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
12	cos	cos	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
13	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	starving	starve	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	19	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	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	10	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reckon** *in a quote* | present | dad |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **eat** *in a quote* | present · progressive | the macaws at the riverbank | mud |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **starve** *in a quote* | present · progressive | macaws *= macaw* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | good *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 -->
They are drinking, not eating

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea:t9:o1:1
# text = They are drinking, not eating
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	drinking	drink	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	eating	eat	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **drink** | present · progressive | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **eat** | gerund | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are building a dam

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea:t9:o2:1
# text = They are building a dam
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	building	build	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	dam	dam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **build** | present · progressive | They | a dam |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset dam=Product |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, they are starving, because every fruit tree in the forest has died

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea:t9:o3:1
# text = Yes, they are starving, because every fruit tree in the forest has died
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	starving	starve	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
7	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
8	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
9	fruit	fruit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	forest	forest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	died	die	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **starve** | present · progressive | they |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **die** | present · perfect | every fruit tree in the forest |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They eat clay on purpose; scientists think it may block poisons or give salt

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea:t9:o4:1
# text = They eat clay on purpose; scientists think it may block poisons or give salt
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	eat	eat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	clay	clay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
7	scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	block	block	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	ccomp	_	_
12	poisons	poison	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
13	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	conj	_	_
15	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | present | They | clay |  | purpose |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent clay=Patient |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | present | scientists |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **block** | may | clay | poisons |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer poison=Theme |
| 4 | **give** | infinitive | clay *not said here* | salt |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent salt=Theme |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoo…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea/t8/)
- next →: [Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoo…, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea/t10/)
- ↑ back to [Parrots of the world: macaws, cockatoos, African greys, lorikeets and the cheeky kea](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/303-parrots-of-the-world-macaws-cockatoos-african-greys-lorikeets-and-the-cheeky-kea/)