---
title: Identify the principal function of the root hairs of a plant. — Roots, stems and leaves · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal function of the root hairs of a plant. Exam question 1 of lesson 57 «Roots, stems and leaves» 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 wrong.
---

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# Exam question 1 · Roots, stems and leaves

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal function of the root hairs of a plant.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify · **To what, where:** principal function

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 57 «Roots, stems and leaves» 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/57-roots-stems-and-leaves/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal function of the root hairs of a plant.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	root	root	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	hairs	hair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal function of the root hairs of a plant |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent function=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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The production of seeds beneath the soil

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:e1:o1:1
# text = The production of seeds beneath the soil
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	production	production	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	seeds	seed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
5	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **produce** |  |  | seeds beneath the soil |  |  |  |  | nom production «act transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The anchorage of the plant in the air

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:e1:o2:1
# text = The anchorage of the plant in the air
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	anchorage	anchorage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **anchor** |  |  | the plant in the air |  |  |  |  | nom anchorage «state transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The storage of sugar for winter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:e1:o3:1
# text = The storage of sugar for winter
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	storage	storage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	sugar	sugar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **store** |  |  | sugar |  |  |  | for winter | nom storage «act transitive»: of=patient for=obl |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The enlargement of the surface which absorbs water and minerals

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:e1:o4:1
# text = The enlargement of the surface which absorbs water and minerals
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	enlargement	enlargement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	absorbs	absorb	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	minerals	mineral	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **absorb** | present | the enlargement of the surface | water and minerals |  |  |  |  | vn absorb-39.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Goal water=Theme |
| 2 | **enlarge** |  |  | the surface |  |  |  |  | nom enlargement «act transitive»: of=patient |

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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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