---
title: How could you test whether an ape really understands a word? — Clever primates: tool-using chimps, Ka… · tree and pragmatics
description: How could you test whether an ape really understands a word? Test 10 · ★ of lesson 387 «Clever primates: tool-using chimps, Kanzi the bonobo and Ayumu's memory» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice w
---

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# Test 10 · ★ · Clever primates: tool-using chimps, Kanzi the bonobo and A…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
How could you test whether an ape really understands a word?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, ape · **What happens:** test, understand · **To what, where:** word

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 10 · ★ of lesson 387 «Clever primates: tool-using chimps, Kanzi the bonobo and Ayumu's memory» 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/387-clever-primates-tool-using-chimps-kanzi-the-bonobo-and-ayumu-s-memory/#t10).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:387-clever-primates-tool-using-chimps-kanzi-the-bonobo-and-ayumu-s-memory:t10:1
# text = How could you test whether an ape really understands a word?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	test	test	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
6	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	ape	ape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	really	really	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	understands	understand	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **test** | could | you |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **understand** | present | a ape | a word |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer word=Stimulus |

<!-- .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 -->
Count how often it smiles

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:387-clever-primates-tool-using-chimps-kanzi-the-bonobo-and-ayumu-s-memory:t10:o1:1
# text = Count how often it smiles
1	Count	count	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	advmod	_	_
3	often	often	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	smiles	smile	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **count** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2 «NP V NP to be ADJ»: agent=Agent clause=Attribute |
| 2 | **smile** | present | it |  |  |  |  | often *property* | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Have someone who does not know the answer ask in new situations

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:387-clever-primates-tool-using-chimps-kanzi-the-bonobo-and-ayumu-s-memory:t10:o2:1
# text = Have someone who does not know the answer ask in new situations
1	Have	have	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	9	nsubj	_	_
3	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
4	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	acl:relcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	ask	ask	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	situations	situation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **know** | present · do-support |  | the answer |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer answer=Stimulus |
| 3 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | someone |  |  | new situations |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ask the ape's own keeper what it means, since the keeper knows the ape best

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:387-clever-primates-tool-using-chimps-kanzi-the-bonobo-and-ayumu-s-memory:t10:o3:1
# text = Ask the ape's own keeper what it means, since the keeper knows the ape best
1	Ask	ask	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	ape	ape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	keeper	keeper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
7	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	9	obj	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	keeper	keeper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	ape	ape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | imperative | you *not said here* | the ape's own keeper |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent keeper=Recipient |
| 2 | **mean** | present | keeper | the ape's own keeper |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic |
| 3 | **know** | present | the keeper | the ape  best |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer ape=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Show it the answer first

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:387-clever-primates-tool-using-chimps-kanzi-the-bonobo-and-ayumu-s-memory:t10:o4:1
# text = Show it the answer first
1	Show	show	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	1	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | imperative | you *not said here* | it |  |  |  | first *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent it=Recipient answer=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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