---
title: Identify the principal reason for which a capybara may be observed c… — The capybara: the calmest animal, frie… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which a capybara may be observed consuming its own soft droppings. Exam question 2 of lesson 42 «The capybara: the calmest animal, friend of crocodiles?» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of e
---

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# Exam question 2 · The capybara: the calmest animal, friend of crocodiles?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which a capybara may be observed consuming its own soft droppings.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify, observe, consume · **To what, where:** principal reason, capybara, own soft droppings

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 42 «The capybara: the calmest animal, friend of crocodiles?» 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/42-the-capybara/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which a capybara may be observed consuming its own soft droppings.
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	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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	capybara	capybara	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	observed	observe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	_
12	consuming	consume	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	xcomp	_	_
13	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
14	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
15	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	droppings	dropping	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **observe** | may · passive |  | a capybara |  |  |  | for the principal reason | tree rules |
| 3 | **consume** | gerund |  | capybara's own soft droppings |  |  |  |  | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dropping=Asset |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The practice serves solely to clean the burrow

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e2:o1:1
# text = The practice serves solely to clean the burrow
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	practice	practice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	serves	serve	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	burrow	burrow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | the practice |  |  |  |  | solely *property* | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **clean** | to-infinitive | the practice *not said here* | the burrow |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent burrow=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The animal is thereby rendered unpalatable to the caiman, the jaguar and other predators of the region

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e2:o2:1
# text = The animal is thereby rendered unpalatable to the caiman, the jaguar and other predators of the region
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
4	thereby	thereby	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	rendered	render	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	unpalatable	unpalatable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	caiman	caiman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	jaguar	jaguar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	predators	predator	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	conj	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	region	region	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **render** | present · passive |  | the animal | the caiman and the jaguar and other predators of the region |  |  | thereby, unpalatable *property* | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: subject=Theme to caiman=Recipient |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The food passes through the gut a second time, permitting the extraction of further nourishment

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e2:o3:1
# text = The food passes through the gut a second time, permitting the extraction of further nourishment
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	passes	pass	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	through	through	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	gut	gut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	9	amod	_	_
9	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	permitting	permit	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	extraction	extraction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	further	further	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	nourishment	nourishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pass** | present | the food |  |  | the gut | time |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme through gut=Location |
| 2 | **permit** | gerund | the food *not said here* | the extraction of further nourishment |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent extraction=Theme |
| 3 | **extract** |  |  | further nourishment |  |  |  |  | nom extraction «process transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The animal is deprived of any other source of food

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e2:o4:1
# text = The animal is deprived of any other source of food
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	deprived	deprive	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	det	_	_
7	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	source	source	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:agent	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **deprive** | present · passive | any other source of food | the animal |  |  |  |  | vn deprive-10.6.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Source |

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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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