---
title: Identify the principal reason for which dark peppered moths increase… — Evolution simply: why living things ch… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which dark peppered moths increased in frequency in nineteenth-century England. Exam question 2 of lesson 73 «Evolution simply: why living things change over many generations» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of
---

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# Exam question 2 · Evolution simply: why living things change over many gener…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which dark peppered moths increased in frequency in nineteenth-century England.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, dark · **What happens:** identify, pepper, increase · **To what, where:** principal reason, moths, frequency

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This is exam question 2 of lesson 73 «Evolution simply: why living things change over many generations» 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/73-evolution-simply/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:73-evolution-simply:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which dark peppered moths increased in frequency in nineteenth-century England.
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	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	obl	_	_
7	dark	dark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	peppered	pepper	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
9	moths	moth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
10	increased	increase	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	frequency	frequency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	nineteenth	nineteenth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	century	century	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
17	England	England	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **pepper** | past | dark | moths |  |  |  | for the principal reason | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent moth=Destination |
| 3 | **increase** | participle |  | moths *not said here* |  | frequency | century |  | vn caused\_calibratable\_cos-45.6.2-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |

<!-- .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 -->
Dark moths migrated in great numbers from continental Europe

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:73-evolution-simply:e2:o1:1
# text = Dark moths migrated in great numbers from continental Europe
1	Dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	moths	moth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
3	migrated	migrate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	numbers	number	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	continental	continental	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	Europe	Europe	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **migrate** | participle |  | Dark moths *not said here* |  | great numbers from continental Europe |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The moths elected to darken their wings so as to match the trees upon which they rested

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:73-evolution-simply:e2:o2:1
# text = The moths elected to darken their wings so as to match the trees upon which they rested
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	moths	moth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
3	elected	elect	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	advcl	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	darken	darken	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	advcl	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
9	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	match	match	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
14	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	17	obl	_	_
16	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	rested	rest	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **elect** | participle | the moths *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **darken** | to-infinitive | the moths *not said here* | moths's wings |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent wing=Patient |
| 3 | **match** | to-infinitive | the moths | the trees |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tree=Patient |
| 4 | **rest** | past | moths *= moth* |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme upon which=Location |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Predation by birds fell more heavily upon pale moths on soot-darkened trunks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:73-evolution-simply:e2:o3:1
# text = Predation by birds fell more heavily upon pale moths on soot-darkened trunks
1	Predation	predation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	by	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
4	fell	fall	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	6	advmod	_	_
6	heavily	heavily	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
7	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	pale	pale	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	moths	moth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
10	on	on	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
11	soot	soot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	darkened	darken	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	amod	_	_
14	trunks	trunk	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | past | Predation by birds |  |  | darkened trunks |  | upon pale moths; heavily *property* | vn occur-48.3 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme upon moth=Location |
| 2 | **darken** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **predate** |  | birds |  |  |  |  |  | nom predation «act transitive»: by=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Soot deposited upon the moths permanently coloured their wings

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:73-evolution-simply:e2:o4:1
# text = Soot deposited upon the moths permanently coloured their wings
1	Soot	soot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
2	deposited	deposit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	acl	_	_
3	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	moths	moth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl:agent	_	_
6	permanently	permanently	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	coloured	colour	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **deposit** | participle |  | Soot *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn put-9.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **colour** | past | Soot | moths's wings |  |  |  | permanently *property* | tree rules |

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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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