---
title: Ascertain the reason for which an adult caiman may abstain from feed… — The capybara: the calmest animal, frie… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which an adult caiman may abstain from feeding for many days. Exam question 4 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 each option; Mo
---

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# Exam question 4 · The capybara: the calmest animal, friend of crocodiles?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which an adult caiman may abstain from feeding for many days.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, adult caiman · **What happens:** ascertain, abstain, feed · **To what, where:** reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 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/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which an adult caiman may abstain from feeding for many days.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	obl	_	_
6	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	adult	adult	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	caiman	caiman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
9	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	abstain	abstain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	acl:relcl	_	_
11	from	from	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	feeding	feed	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	advcl	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	days	day	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |
| 2 | **abstain** | may | a adult caiman |  |  |  |  | for the reason | vn refrain-69 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **feed** | gerund | a adult caiman *not said here* |  |  |  | day |  | vn gorge-39.6 «NP V PP.patient»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 -->
Being a reptile, it does not expend food in maintaining its body heat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e4:o1:1
# text = Being a reptile, it does not expend food in maintaining its body heat
1	Being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	cop	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reptile	reptile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
6	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	expend	expend	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
9	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
10	in	in	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
11	maintaining	maintain	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	advcl	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
13	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | gerund | reptile *not said here* | a reptile |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **expend** | present · do-support | reptile | food |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **maintain** | gerund | reptile *not said here* | reptile's body heat |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent heat=Theme |
| 4 | **heat** |  | reptile |  |  |  |  |  | nom heat «phenomenon intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is incapable of digesting any food larger than a snail

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e4:o2:1
# text = It is incapable of digesting any food larger than a snail
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	incapable	incapable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	digesting	digest	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
6	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
7	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	larger	large	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	xcomp	_	_
9	than	than	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	snail	snail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | incapable *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **digest** | gerund |  | any food |  |  |  | large *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It obtains all its nourishment from the water it swallows

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e4:o3:1
# text = It obtains all its nourishment from the water it swallows
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	obtains	obtain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	5	det:predet	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	nourishment	nourishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	swallows	swallow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **obtain** | present | It | its nourishment |  | the water |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent nourishment=Theme from water=Source |
| 2 | **swallow** | present | nourishment | the water *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn gobble-39.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It sustains itself by consuming grass in the manner of the capybara upon the bank

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:42-the-capybara:e4:o4:1
# text = It sustains itself by consuming grass in the manner of the capybara upon the bank
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sustains	sustain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	itself	itself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obj	_	_
4	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	consuming	consume	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
6	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	capybara	capybara	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	bank	bank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sustain** | present | It | itself *= it* |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent itself=Theme |
| 2 | **consume** | gerund |  | grass |  | the manner of the capybara upon the bank |  |  | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent grass=Asset |

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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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