---
title: «a fish smashing a clam isn't using a tool, it's just being strong»… — Surprising brains: tool-using fish, co… · tree and pragmatics
description: «a fish smashing a clam isn't using a tool, it's just being strong» What is the best answer? Test 10 · ★★ of lesson 388 «Surprising brains: tool-using fish, counting bees, laughing rats and clever pigs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the qu
---

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# Test 10 · ★★ · Surprising brains: tool-using fish, counting bees, laughin…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«a fish smashing a clam isn't using a tool, it's just being strong» What is the best answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** fish, it, best answer · **What happens:** smash, not use, be · **To what, where:** clam, tool · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 10 · ★★ of lesson 388 «Surprising brains: tool-using fish, counting bees, laughing rats and clever pigs» 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/388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs/#t10).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs:t10:1
# text = «a fish smashing a clam isn't using a tool, it's just being strong» What is the best answer?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
4	smashing	smash	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	clam	clam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	using	use	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	17	csubj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	tool	tool	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	cop	_	_
15	just	just	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
16	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	17	cop	_	_
17	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
19	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	17	ccomp	_	_
20	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
22	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	23	amod	_	_
23	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	17	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **smash** *in a quote* | gerund | a fish *not said here* | a clam |  |  |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent clam=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **use** *in a quote* | present · progressive | a fish | a tool |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tool=Patient |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | it |  |  |  |  | strong *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **is a** | present | the best answer |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
It uses the rock as an anvil to do what it could not alone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs:t10:o1:1
# text = It uses the rock as an anvil to do what it could not alone
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	uses	use	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	as	as	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	anvil	anvil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
10	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	9	obj	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	acl:relcl	_	_
13	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | It | the rock |  |  |  | as a anvil | vn spend\_time-104 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent rock=Duration as anvil=Attribute |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | alone *property* | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The clam breaks itself

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs:t10:o2:1
# text = The clam breaks itself
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	clam	clam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	breaks	break	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	itself	itself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** | present | the clam | clam |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer itself=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fish cannot hold anything

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs:t10:o3:1
# text = Fish cannot hold anything
1	Fish	fish	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	hold	hold	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **hold** | can | Fish | anything |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Theme |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, it only uses its strength, so it is not a tool at all

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs:t10:o4:1
# text = Yes, it only uses its strength, so it is not a tool at all
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	uses	use	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	strength	strength	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
12	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	tool	tool	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
15	at	at	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | it | its strength |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent strength=Patient |
| 2 | **not** **is a** | present | strength | a tool |  | all |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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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- ↑ back to [Surprising brains: tool-using fish, counting bees, laughing rats and clever pigs](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/388-surprising-brains-tool-using-fish-counting-bees-laughing-rats-and-clever-pigs/)