---
title: Why do many trees drop their leaves in winter instead of keeping them? — Roots, stems and leaves · tree and pragmatics
description: Why do many trees drop their leaves in winter instead of keeping them? Test 10 · ★ 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 right.
---

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# Test 10 · ★ · Roots, stems and leaves

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why do many trees drop their leaves in winter instead of keeping them?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** many trees · **What happens:** do, drop, keep · **To what, where:** leaves

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 10 · ★ of lesson 57 «Roots, stems and leaves» 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/57-roots-stems-and-leaves/#t10).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:t10:1
# text = Why do many trees drop their leaves in winter instead of keeping them?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
3	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	drop	drop	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	instead	instead	ADV	RB	ExtPos=SCONJ	12	mark	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	fixed	_	_
12	keeping	keep	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
13	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present | many trees *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **drop** | present | many trees | trees's leaves |  |  | winter |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent leaf=Theme |
| 3 | **keep** | gerund | many trees *not said here* | leaves *= leaf* |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=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 -->
The leaves get too heavy with snow to keep growing, so they break off the twigs

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:t10:o1:1
# text = The leaves get too heavy with snow to keep growing, so they break off the twigs
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	too	too	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	heavy	heavy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	snow	snow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
10	growing	grow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
13	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	break	break	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
15	off	off	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	twigs	twig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | the leaves |  |  |  |  | with snow; heavy *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **keep** | to-infinitive | the leaves *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **grow** | gerund | the leaves *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **break off** | present | leaves *= leaf* | the twigs |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer twig=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Birds pull them off for nests

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:t10:o2:1
# text = Birds pull them off for nests
1	Birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	pull	pull	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	off	off	ADP	RP	_	2	compound:prt	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	nests	nest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pull off** | present | Birds | them *= they* |  |  |  | for nests | vn complete-55.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Eventuality |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Thin leaves would be hurt by frost and lose water when the ground freezes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:t10:o3:1
# text = Thin leaves would be hurt by frost and lose water when the ground freezes
1	Thin	thin	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	frost	frost	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	lose	lose	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
10	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
11	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	14	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	freezes	freeze	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hurt** | would · passive | frost | Thin leaves |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer subject=Patient |
| 2 | **lose** | present | frost *not said here* | water |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Eventuality |
| 3 | **freeze** | present | the ground |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Trees get bored of the same leaves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:57-roots-stems-and-leaves:t10:o4:1
# text = Trees get bored of the same leaves
1	Trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	bored	bored	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | present | Trees |  |  |  |  | bored *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |

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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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