---
title: Ascertain the principal reason for which the water buffalo was emplo… — The Chinese zodiac: the twelve real an… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the principal reason for which the water buffalo was employed in the cultivation of flooded rice fields. Exam question 2 of lesson 382 «The Chinese zodiac: the twelve real animals behind the signs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of t
---

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# Exam question 2 · The Chinese zodiac: the twelve real animals behind the signs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the principal reason for which the water buffalo was employed in the cultivation of flooded rice fields.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain, employ, flood, cultivate · **To what, where:** principal reason, water buffalo, cultivation, flooded rice fields

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 382 «The Chinese zodiac: the twelve real animals behind the signs» 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/382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs:e2:1
# text = Ascertain the principal reason for which the water buffalo was employed in the cultivation of flooded rice fields.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	buffalo	buffalo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	cultivation	cultivation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	flooded	flood	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	18	amod	_	_
17	rice	rice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	compound	_	_
18	fields	field	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	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 principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |
| 2 | **employ** | past · passive |  | the water buffalo |  | the cultivation of flooded rice fields |  | for the principal reason | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: subject=Theme for which=Eventuality |
| 3 | **flood** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **cultivate** |  |  | flooded rice fields |  |  |  |  | nom cultivation «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
It perspires copiously and so remains cool in the sun

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs:e2:o1:1
# text = It perspires copiously and so remains cool in the sun
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	perspires	perspire	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	copiously	copiously	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	remains	remain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	cool	cool	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	sun	sun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **perspire** | present | It |  |  |  |  | copiously *property* | vn exhale-40.1.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **remain** | present |  |  |  | the sun |  | cool *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in sun=Location |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is capable of swimming beneath the water

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs:e2:o2:1
# text = It is capable of swimming beneath the water
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	capable	capable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	swimming	swimming	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | of swimming; beneath the water; capable *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is lighter than any horse

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs:e2:o3:1
# text = It is lighter than any horse
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	lighter	light	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
4	than	than	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
6	horse	horse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | than any horse; light *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its broad hooves distribute its weight, preventing deep sinking in mud

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs:e2:o4:1
# text = Its broad hooves distribute its weight, preventing deep sinking in mud
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	broad	broad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	hooves	hoove	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	distribute	distribute	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	preventing	prevent	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
9	deep	deep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	sinking	sink	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	conj	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	mud	mud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **distribute** | present | Its broad hooves | its weight |  |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2-1 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent weight=Theme |
| 2 | **prevent** | gerund | Its broad hooves *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Causer |
| 3 | **sink** | gerund | Its broad hooves *not said here* |  |  | mud |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

<!-- 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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