---
title: Ascertain the reason for which an aged egg floats when placed in wat… — Where eggs come from: hens, shell colo… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which an aged egg floats when placed in water. Exam question 3 of lesson 342 «Where eggs come from: hens, shell colours, sizes and what is inside» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova
---

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# Exam question 3 · Where eggs come from: hens, shell colours, sizes and what…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which an aged egg floats when placed in water.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, aged egg · **What happens:** ascertain, float, place · **To what, where:** reason, water

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 342 «Where eggs come from: hens, shell colours, sizes and what is inside» 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/342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside:e3:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which an aged egg floats when placed in water.
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	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	aged	aged	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	floats	float	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl	_	_
10	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	11	advmod	_	_
11	placed	place	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	advcl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	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 | **float** | present | a aged egg |  |  |  |  | for the reason | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **place** | participle | a aged egg *not said here* |  |  | water |  |  | vn put-9.1-2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent in water=Destination |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Water has escaped through the pores of the shell and the air space at the blunt end has enlarged

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside:e3:o1:1
# text = Water has escaped through the pores of the shell and the air space at the blunt end has enlarged
1	Water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	escaped	escape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	through	through	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	pores	pore	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	space	space	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	blunt	blunt	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl	_	_
18	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	enlarged	enlarge	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	3	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **escape** | present · perfect · passive |  | Water |  | the pores of the shell and the air space |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **enlarge** | present · perfect |  |  |  |  | at the blunt end |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The white has hardened into a buoyant solid

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside:e3:o2:1
# text = The white has hardened into a buoyant solid
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	hardened	harden	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	buoyant	buoyant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	solid	solid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **harden** | present · perfect | the white |  |  | a buoyant solid |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shell has absorbed water and become lighter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside:e3:o3:1
# text = The shell has absorbed water and become lighter
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	absorbed	absorb	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	become	become	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
8	lighter	light	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	7	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **absorb** | present · perfect · passive |  | the shell |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **become** | present |  |  |  |  |  | light *property* | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The yolk has been converted into gas

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside:e3:o4:1
# text = The yolk has been converted into gas
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	yolk	yolk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	converted	convert	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	into	into	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **convert** | present · perfect · passive |  | the yolk |  |  |  | into gas *result* | vn turn-26.6.1-1 «NP V NP.patient PP.result»: subject=Patient into gas=Result |

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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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- ↑ back to [Where eggs come from: hens, shell colours, sizes and what is inside](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/342-where-eggs-come-from-hens-shell-colours-sizes-and-what-is-inside/)