---
title: «why would a squirrel fly down the tree when it can just climb» What… — Rodents of every kind: squirrels, marm… · tree and pragmatics
description: «why would a squirrel fly down the tree when it can just climb» What is the best answer? Test 8 of lesson 317 «Rodents of every kind: squirrels, marmots, prairie dogs, porcupines, chinchillas and dormice» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Test 8 · Rodents of every kind: squirrels, marmots, prairie dogs, p…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why would a squirrel fly down the tree when it can just climb» What is the best answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** tree, best answer · **What happens:** climb, be · **To what, where:** squirrel fly

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 of lesson 317 «Rodents of every kind: squirrels, marmots, prairie dogs, porcupines, chinchillas and dormice» 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/317-rodents-of-every-kind-squirrels-marmots-prairie-dogs-porcupines-chinchillas-and-dormice/#t8).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:317-rodents-of-every-kind-squirrels-marmots-prairie-dogs-porcupines-chinchillas-and-dormice:t8:1
# text = «why would a squirrel fly down the tree when it can just climb» What is the best answer?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
3	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	squirrel	squirrel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	fly	fly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	down	down	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	14	mark	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
12	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
13	just	just	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	climb	climb	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	_
16	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	14	obj	_	_
17	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
19	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	20	amod	_	_
20	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **climb** *in a quote* | can | tree |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | present | the best answer | a squirrel fly down the tree |  |  |  |  | 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 -->
It is too lazy to climb

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:317-rodents-of-every-kind-squirrels-marmots-prairie-dogs-porcupines-chinchillas-and-dormice:t8:o1:1
# text = It is too lazy to climb
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	too	too	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	lazy	lazy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	climb	climb	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | lazy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **climb** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Flying squirrels have no claws at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:317-rodents-of-every-kind-squirrels-marmots-prairie-dogs-porcupines-chinchillas-and-dormice:t8:o2:1
# text = Flying squirrels have no claws at all
1	Flying	fly	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	amod	_	_
2	squirrels	squirrel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	claws	claw	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fly** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **have** | present | Flying squirrels | no claws |  | all |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent claw=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Climbing wears down its front teeth, so it saves them by flying

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:317-rodents-of-every-kind-squirrels-marmots-prairie-dogs-porcupines-chinchillas-and-dormice:t8:o3:1
# text = Climbing wears down its front teeth, so it saves them by flying
1	Climbing	climb	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	nsubj	_	_
2	wears	wear	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	down	down	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
5	front	front	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	teeth	tooth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	saves	save	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
11	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
13	flying	fly	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **climb** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **wear down** | present |  | its front teeth |  |  |  |  | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.source»: agent=Agent tooth=Source |
| 3 | **save** | present | it | teeth *= tooth* |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |
| 4 | **fly** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Gliding keeps it away from the ground, where predators wait

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:317-rodents-of-every-kind-squirrels-marmots-prairie-dogs-porcupines-chinchillas-and-dormice:t8:o4:1
# text = Gliding keeps it away from the ground, where predators wait
1	Gliding	glide	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	nsubj	_	_
2	keeps	keep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	away	away	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	11	advmod	_	_
10	predators	predator	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
11	wait	wait	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **glide** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **keep away** | present |  | it |  | the ground |  | away *property* | vn forbid-64.4 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Causer it=Beneficiary from ground=Eventuality |
| 3 | **wait** | present | predators |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=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 -->

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