---
title: Identify the principal feature by which the stoat may be distinguish… — The real animals of the Wild Wood: the… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal feature by which the stoat may be distinguished from the weasel. Exam question 1 of lesson 405 «The real animals of the Wild Wood: the badger, the stoat, the weasel, the ferret, field-mice and hedgehogs in winter» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the depend
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs/e1/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/) / [The real animals of the Wild Wood: the…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs/) / e1

# Exam question 1 · The real animals of the Wild Wood: the badger, the stoat,…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal feature by which the stoat may be distinguished from the weasel.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, principal feature · **What happens:** identify, distinguish · **To what, where:** principal feature, stoat

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 405 «The real animals of the Wild Wood: the badger, the stoat, the weasel, the ferret, field-mice and hedgehogs in winter» 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/405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal feature by which the stoat may be distinguished from the weasel.
1	Identify	identify	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	feature	feature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	stoat	stoat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
10	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	distinguished	distinguish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	_
12	from	from	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	weasel	weasel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal feature |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent feature=Theme |
| 2 | **distinguish** | may · passive | the principal feature | the stoat |  |  |  | from the weasel | vn distinguish-23.5-1 «NP V NP.theme PP.co-theme»: agent=Agent subject=Theme from weasel=Co-Theme |

<!-- .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 -->
The stoat is the larger and bears a black tip to its tail

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs:e1:o1:1
# text = The stoat is the larger and bears a black tip to its tail
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	stoat	stoat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	larger	large	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	7	amod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
7	bears	bear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	tip	tip	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	appos	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the stoat | the larger bears |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The weasel alone possesses whiskers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs:e1:o2:1
# text = The weasel alone possesses whiskers
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	weasel	weasel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	possesses	possess	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	whiskers	whisker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **possess** | present | the weasel | whiskers |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot whisker=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The stoat bears spots upon its flanks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs:e1:o3:1
# text = The stoat bears spots upon its flanks
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	stoat	stoat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	bears	bear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	compound	_	_
4	spots	spot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	flanks	flank	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The weasel is the larger and possesses a striped back and a bushy tail

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs:e1:o4:1
# text = The weasel is the larger and possesses a striped back and a bushy tail
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	weasel	weasel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	larger	large	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	possesses	possess	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	striped	striped	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	bushy	bushy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the weasel |  |  |  |  | large *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **possess** | present | the weasel *not said here* | a striped back |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot back=Theme |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [The real animals of the Wild Wood: the…, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs/t11/)
- next →: [The real animals of the Wild Wood: the…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs/e2/)
- ↑ back to [The real animals of the Wild Wood: the badger, the stoat, the weasel, the ferret, field-mice and hedgehogs in winter](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/405-the-real-animals-of-the-wild-wood-badger-stoat-weasel-ferret-field-mice-and-winter-hedgehogs/)