---
title: «mate reckons plants eat the soil to grow, that's why they need it»… — Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters… · tree and pragmatics
description: «mate reckons plants eat the soil to grow, that's why they need it» What is right? Test 5 · ★ of lesson 46 «Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters, meat-eaters» 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 w
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/46-food-chains/t5/)

<!-- 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/) / [Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/46-food-chains/) / t5

# Test 5 · ★ · Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters, meat-eaters

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«mate reckons plants eat the soil to grow, that's why they need it» What is right?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** mate, plants, that · **What happens:** reckon, eat, grow, be, need · **To what, where:** soil · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★ of lesson 46 «Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters, meat-eaters» 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/46-food-chains/#t5).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:46-food-chains:t5:1
# text = «mate reckons plants eat the soil to grow, that's why they need it» What is right?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	reckons	reckon	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	eat	eat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	15	advmod	_	_
14	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
15	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	_
18	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	20	nsubj	_	_
19	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	cop	_	_
20	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reckon** *in a quote* | present | mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **eat** *in a quote* | present | plants | the soil |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent soil=Patient |
| 3 | **grow** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | plants *not said here* | the soil *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **is** *in a quote* | present | that |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 5 | **need** *in a quote* | present | plants *= plant* | soil |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | right *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 -->
No, plants make food from light, air and water; soil gives water and minerals

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:46-food-chains:t5:o1:1
# text = No, plants make food from light, air and water; soil gives water and minerals
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	14	punct	_	_
13	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	gives	give	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
15	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	minerals	mineral	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | plants | food |  | light and air and water |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V PP»: agent=Asset food=Product from light=Material |
| 2 | **give** | present | soil | water and minerals |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, plants eat soil

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:46-food-chains:t5:o2:1
# text = Yes, plants eat soil
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	eat	eat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | present | plants | soil |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent soil=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, plants need nothing at all to grow

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:46-food-chains:t5:o3:1
# text = No, plants need nothing at all to grow
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	4	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	nmod	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present | plants | nothing |  | all |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot nothing=Theme |
| 2 | **grow** | to-infinitive | plants *not said here* | nothing *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, the roots chew the soil up slowly and swallow it bit by bit, mate

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:46-food-chains:t5:o4:1
# text = Yes, the roots chew the soil up slowly and swallow it bit by bit, mate
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	5	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	roots	root	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	chew	chew	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	up	up	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
9	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	swallow	swallow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
13	bit	bit	ADP	RP	_	11	compound:prt	_	_
14	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
17	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	vocative	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chew up** | present | the roots | the soil |  |  |  | slowly *property* | vn chew-39.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent soil=Patient |
| 2 | **swallow bit** | infinitive | the roots *not said here* | soil |  |  |  | by bit | vn gobble-39.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

<!-- 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: [Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/46-food-chains/t4/)
- next →: [Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters…, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/46-food-chains/t6/)
- ↑ back to [Food chains: sun, plants, plant-eaters, meat-eaters](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/46-food-chains/)