---
title: How could a bird use the Sun as a compass when the Sun moves across… — Migration: the great journeys · tree and pragmatics
description: How could a bird use the Sun as a compass when the Sun moves across the sky? Test 9 · ★★ of lesson 54 «Migration: the great journeys» 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 9 · ★★ · Migration: the great journeys

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
How could a bird use the Sun as a compass when the Sun moves across the sky?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** bird, Sun · **What happens:** use, move · **To what, where:** Sun, sky

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★ of lesson 54 «Migration: the great journeys» 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/54-migration-the-great-journeys/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:54-migration-the-great-journeys:t9:1
# text = How could a bird use the Sun as a compass when the Sun moves across the sky?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	use	use	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	compass	compass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
11	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	14	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	moves	move	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
15	across	across	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | could | a bird | the Sun |  |  |  | as a compass | vn spend\_time-104 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent sun=Duration as compass=Attribute |
| 2 | **move** | present | the Sun |  |  | the sky |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme across sky=Trajectory |

<!-- .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 flies only at noon, when the Sun is at the very top of the sky

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:54-migration-the-great-journeys:t9:o1:1
# text = It flies only at noon, when the Sun is at the very top of the sky
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	flies	fly	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	noon	noon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
7	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	very	very	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	top	top	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	appos	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fly** | present | It |  |  |  | noon |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | the Sun |  |  | the top |  | of the sky | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It waits for the Sun to stop

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:54-migration-the-great-journeys:t9:o2:1
# text = It waits for the Sun to stop
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	waits	wait	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	stop	stop	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** | present | It |  |  |  |  | for the Sun | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **stop** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It has an inner clock and knows where the Sun should be at each hour

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:54-migration-the-great-journeys:t9:o3:1
# text = It has an inner clock and knows where the Sun should be at each hour
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	inner	inner	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
8	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	15	advmod	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
11	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
12	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	cop	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	15	det	_	_
15	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | It | a inner clock |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent clock=Patient |
| 2 | **know** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **is** | should | the Sun |  |  |  | at each hour |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It follows its own shadow

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:54-migration-the-great-journeys:t9:o4:1
# text = It follows its own shadow
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	follows	follow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
4	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	shadow	shadow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | present | It | its own shadow |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shadow=Theme |
| 2 | **shadow** |  | its *= it* |  |  |  |  |  | nom shadow «state transitive»: poss=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.

<!-- /div -->

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