---
title: My cousin says the flamingo's knee bends backwards. Is he right? — Birds of every kind: penguins, ostrich… · tree and pragmatics
description: My cousin says the flamingo's knee bends backwards. Is he right? Test 4 · ★★ of lesson 35 «Birds of every kind: penguins, ostriches, parrots, hummingbirds, songbirds, crows» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mo
---

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# Test 4 · ★★ · Birds of every kind: penguins, ostriches, parrots, humming…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
My cousin says the flamingo's knee bends backwards. Is he right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cousin, knee · **What happens:** say, bend, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★★ of lesson 35 «Birds of every kind: penguins, ostriches, parrots, hummingbirds, songbirds, crows» 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/35-birds-of-every-kind/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* My cousin says the flamingo's knee bends backwards.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:35-birds-of-every-kind:t4:1
# text = My cousin says the flamingo's knee bends backwards.
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	says	say	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	flamingo	flamingo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
7	knee	knee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	bends	bend	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
9	backwards	backwards	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | My cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **bend** | present | the flamingo's knee |  |  |  |  | backwards *property* | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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:35-birds-of-every-kind:t4:2
# 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 | knee |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, flamingos have no knees or ankles at all, their legs are one bone

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:35-birds-of-every-kind:t4:o1:1
# text = No, flamingos have no knees or ankles at all, their legs are one bone
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	flamingos	flamingo	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	knees	knee	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	ankles	ankle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	legs	leg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nsubj	_	_
14	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
15	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	nummod	_	_
16	bone	bone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | flamingos | no knees or ankles |  | all |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent knee=Patient |
| 2 | **is a** | present | flamingos's legs | one bone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, that bend is the ankle; the knee is hidden in the feathers

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:35-birds-of-every-kind:t4:o2:1
# text = No, that bend is the ankle; the knee is hidden in the feathers
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
3	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	det	_	_
4	bend	bend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	ankle	ankle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	knee	knee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	hidden	hide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	conj	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | that bend | the ankle |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **hide** | present · passive |  | the knee |  | the feathers |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Patient in feather=Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only when standing on one leg

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:35-birds-of-every-kind:t4:o3:1
# text = Yes, but only when standing on one leg
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
6	standing	stand	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	leg	leg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stand** | gerund |  |  |  | one leg |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent on leg=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, flamingos have backward knees

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:35-birds-of-every-kind:t4:o4:1
# text = Yes, flamingos have backward knees
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	flamingos	flamingo	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	backward	backward	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	knees	knee	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | flamingos | knees |  |  |  | backward *property* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent knee=Patient |

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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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- ← previous: [Birds of every kind: penguins, ostrich…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/35-birds-of-every-kind/t3/)
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