---
title: Identify the principal means whereby the platypus locates its prey b… — The platypus and the echidna: mammals… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal means whereby the platypus locates its prey beneath the water. Exam question 2 of lesson 43 «The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's 
---

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# Exam question 2 · The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal means whereby the platypus locates its prey beneath the water.

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 43 «The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs» 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/43-platypus-and-echidna/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal means whereby the platypus locates its prey beneath the water.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
5	whereby	whereby	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	platypus	platypus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	locates	locate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	prey	prey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn empathize-88.2 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **mean** | present | the principal |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **locate** | present | the platypus | platypus's prey |  |  |  | beneath the water; whereby *property* | 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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sensors within the bill which detect movement and faint electrical activity

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e2:o1:1
# text = Sensors within the bill which detect movement and faint electrical activity
1	Sensors	sensor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
2	within	within	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	bill	bill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	detect	detect	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	movement	movement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	faint	faint	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	electrical	electrical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	activity	activity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **detect** | present | the bill | movement and faint electrical activity |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer movement=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hearing, the ears remaining open throughout the entire course of the dive

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e2:o2:1
# text = Hearing, the ears remaining open throughout the entire course of the dive
1	Hearing	hearing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	_
5	remaining	remain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
6	open	open	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	_
7	throughout	throughout	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	entire	entire	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	dive	dive	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **remain** | gerund | the ears *not said here* |  |  | the entire course of the dive |  | open *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme throughout course=Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Acute vision, the eyes remaining open throughout the dive

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e2:o3:1
# text = Acute vision, the eyes remaining open throughout the dive
1	Acute	acute	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	vision	vision	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	eyes	eye	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
6	remaining	remain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	open	open	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
8	throughout	throughout	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	dive	dive	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **remain** | gerund | the eyes *not said here* |  |  | the dive |  | open *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme throughout dive=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Echolocation in the manner of the bat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e2:o4:1
# text = Echolocation in the manner of the bat
1	Echolocation	echolocation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	bat	bat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

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

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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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