---
title: «you swallow 8 spiders a year in your sleep, it's a fact, it's got a… — Minibeasts in the house: house spiders… · tree and pragmatics
description: «you swallow 8 spiders a year in your sleep, it's a fact, it's got a number» Why do made-up facts with numbers sound so believable? Test 3 of lesson 370 «Minibeasts in the house: house spiders, silverfish, woodlice, moths and cockroaches» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the depe
---

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# Test 3 · Minibeasts in the house: house spiders, silverfish, woodli…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«you swallow 8 spiders a year in your sleep, it's a fact, it's got a number» Why do made-up facts with numbers sound so believable?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, it, sleep, your · **What happens:** swallow, be, get, make up, sound, sleep · **To what, where:** 8 spiders, sleep, fact, number, facts · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 of lesson 370 «Minibeasts in the house: house spiders, silverfish, woodlice, moths and cockroaches» 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/370-minibeasts-in-the-house-house-spiders-silverfish-woodlice-moths-and-cockroaches/#t3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:370-minibeasts-in-the-house-house-spiders-silverfish-woodlice-moths-and-cockroaches:t3:1
# text = «you swallow 8 spiders a year in your sleep, it's a fact, it's got a number» Why do made-up facts with numbers sound so believable?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	swallow	swallow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	csubj	_	_
4	8	8	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	spiders	spider	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	sleep	sleep	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	fact	fact	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	31	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
17	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	got	get	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	15	acl	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	19	punct	_	_
23	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	25	advmod	_	_
24	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	25	aux	_	_
25	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	19	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	27	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	up	up	ADP	RP	_	25	compound:prt	_	_
28	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	25	obj	_	_
29	with	with	ADP	IN	_	30	case	_	_
30	numbers	number	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	28	nmod	_	_
31	sound	sound	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
32	so	so	ADV	RB	_	33	advmod	_	_
33	believable	believable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	31	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	31	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swallow** *in a quote* | present | you | 8 spiders |  | your sleep | year |  | vn gobble-39.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spider=Patient |
| 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | it | a fact |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **get** *in a quote* | present · passive | sleep | a number |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer number=Stimulus |
| 4 | **make up** | present · do-support | sleep *not said here* | facts |  |  |  | with numbers | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme fact=Pivot |
| 5 | **sound** | present |  |  |  |  |  | believable *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 6 | **sleep** *in a quote* |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom sleep «state intransitive»: poss=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A number makes a story sound measured and scientific, even when nobody counted

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:370-minibeasts-in-the-house-house-spiders-silverfish-woodlice-moths-and-cockroaches:t3:o1:1
# text = A number makes a story sound measured and scientific, even when nobody counted
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	measured	measure	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	scientific	scientific	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	even	even	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
12	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
13	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	14	nsubj	_	_
14	counted	count	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | a number | a story sound |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset sound=Product |
| 2 | **measure** | participle |  | a story sound *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **count** | past | nobody |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Spiders really count themselves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:370-minibeasts-in-the-house-house-spiders-silverfish-woodlice-moths-and-cockroaches:t3:o2:1
# text = Spiders really count themselves
1	Spiders	spider	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	really	really	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	count	count	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **count** | present | Spiders | Spiders *= spider* |  |  |  |  | vn multiply-108 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent themselves=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Every fact with a number is true

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:370-minibeasts-in-the-house-house-spiders-silverfish-woodlice-moths-and-cockroaches:t3:o3:1
# text = Every fact with a number is true
1	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	fact	fact	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | every fact with a number |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Numbers are always checked by scientists before anybody is allowed to say them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:370-minibeasts-in-the-house-house-spiders-silverfish-woodlice-moths-and-cockroaches:t3:o4:1
# text = Numbers are always checked by scientists before anybody is allowed to say them
1	Numbers	number	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	checked	check	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl:agent	_	_
7	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	anybody	anybody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
13	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **check** | present · passive | scientists | Numbers |  |  |  | always *property* | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 2 | **allow** | present · passive |  | anybody |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | anybody *not said here* | Numbers *= number* |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent they=Topic |

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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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