---
title: Your brother says a candle gets shorter because the wax "just melts… — The candle and what burning is · tree and pragmatics
description: Your brother says a candle gets shorter because the wax "just melts and drips". What is the truth? Test 6 · ★★★ of lesson 11 «The candle and what burning is» of the chemistry course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice wa
---

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# Test 6 · ★★★ · The candle and what burning is

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your brother says a candle gets shorter because the wax "just melts and drips". What is the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** brother, candle, wax, truth · **What happens:** say, get, melt, drip, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★★ of lesson 11 «The candle and what burning is» of the chemistry 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/chemistry/11-the-candle-and-burning/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your brother says a candle gets shorter because the wax "just melts and drips".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:t6:1
# text = Your brother says a candle gets shorter because the wax "just melts and drips".
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	candle	candle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	gets	get	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	shorter	short	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	xcomp	_	_
8	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	wax	wax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
11	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	just	just	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	melts	melt	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	drips	drip	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your brother |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **get** | present | a candle |  |  |  |  | short *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **melt** *in a quote* | present | the wax |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **drip** *in a quote* | present | the wax *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Source |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is the truth?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:t6:2
# text = What is the truth?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the truth |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
All of it melts and drips down onto the table, where you can scrape it off

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:t6:o1:1
# text = All of it melts and drips down onto the table, where you can scrape it off
1	All	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	nmod	_	_
4	melts	melt	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	drips	drip	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
7	down	down	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	onto	onto	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	table	table	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	15	advmod	_	_
13	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
14	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	scrape	scrape	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
17	off	off	ADP	RP	_	15	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **melt** | present | All |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **drip down** | present | All *not said here* |  |  | the table |  | down *property* | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme onto table=Location |
| 3 | **scrape off** | can | you | table |  |  |  |  | vn cut-21.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It sinks into the wick

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:t6:o2:1
# text = It sinks into the wick
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sinks	sink	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	wick	wick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sink** | present | It |  |  | the wick |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It turns back into a solid inside

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:t6:o3:1
# text = It turns back into a solid inside
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	turns	turn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	back	back	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	solid	solid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	inside	inside	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn back** | present | It |  |  | a solid |  | inside *property* | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most of the wax burns into carbon dioxide and water vapour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:t6:o4:1
# text = Most of the wax burns into carbon dioxide and water vapour
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	wax	wax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	burns	burn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	carbon	carbon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	dioxide	dioxide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	vapour	vapour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **burn** | present | Most of the wax |  |  | carbon dioxide and water vapour |  |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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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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