---
title: Why does a platypus fill its cheek pouches before coming up? — The platypus and the echidna: mammals… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why does a platypus fill its cheek pouches before coming up? Test 6 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 choice was right.
---

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# Test 6 · The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why does a platypus fill its cheek pouches before coming up?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** platypus · **What happens:** fill, come up · **To what, where:** cheek pouches

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 of lesson 43 «The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs» 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/43-platypus-and-echidna/#t6).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:t6:1
# text = Why does a platypus fill its cheek pouches before coming up?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	platypus	platypus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	fill	fill	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	cheek	cheek	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	pouches	pouch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
9	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
10	coming	come	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
11	up	up	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fill** | present · do-support | a platypus | platypus's cheek pouches |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent pouch=Patient |
| 2 | **come up** | gerund | a platypus *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It wants to feed its eggs on the surface

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:t6:o1:1
# text = It wants to feed its eggs on the surface
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	feed	feed	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **feed** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | its eggs |  | the surface |  |  | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent egg=Recipient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It breathes only at the surface, so it saves trips by eating many mouthfuls at once

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:t6:o2:1
# text = It breathes only at the surface, so it saves trips by eating many mouthfuls at once
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	breathes	breathe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	saves	save	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
11	trips	trip	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	_
12	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
13	eating	eat	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	advcl	_	_
14	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	mouthfuls	mouthful	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obj	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **breathe** | present | It | the surface |  |  |  |  | vn breathe-40.1.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent surface=Theme |
| 2 | **save** | present | surface | trips |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent trip=Theme |
| 3 | **eat** | gerund | surface *not said here* | many mouthfuls |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mouthful=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is hiding food from the other platypuses that share its stretch of the creek

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:t6:o3:1
# text = It is hiding food from the other platypuses that share its stretch of the creek
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	aux	_	_
3	hiding	hide	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	platypuses	platypus	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	share	share	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	stretch	stretch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	creek	creek	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hide** | present · progressive | It | food |  | the other platypuses |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent food=Patient from platypus=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **share** | present | the other platypuses | food's stretch of the creek |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It cannot swallow under water at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:t6:o4:1
# text = It cannot swallow under water at all
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	swallow	swallow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	under	under	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **swallow** | can | It |  |  | water |  | at all | vn hiccup-40.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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.

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