---
title: It is given that pickled vegetables remain edible for several months… — Acids in the kitchen · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that pickled vegetables remain edible for several months when stored in vinegar. Ascertain the principal reason. Exam question 2 of lesson 15 «Acids in the kitchen» of the chemistry course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each optio
---

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# Exam question 2 · Acids in the kitchen

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that pickled vegetables remain edible for several months when stored in vinegar. Ascertain the principal reason.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** pickled vegetables, you · **What happens:** give, pickle, remain, store, ascertain · **To what, where:** It, vinegar, principal reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 15 «Acids in the kitchen» of the chemistry 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/chemistry/15-acids-in-the-kitchen/#e2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that pickled vegetables remain edible for several months when stored in vinegar.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:15-acids-in-the-kitchen:e2:1
# text = It is given that pickled vegetables remain edible for several months when stored in vinegar.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	pickled	pickle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	amod	_	_
6	vegetables	vegetable	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	remain	remain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	edible	edible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	several	several	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	months	month	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
12	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	13	advmod	_	_
13	stored	store	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	advcl	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	vinegar	vinegar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **pickle** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **remain** | present | pickled vegetables |  |  |  | month | edible *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **store** | participle | pickled vegetables *not said here* |  |  | vinegar |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent in vinegar=Location |

<!-- .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:* Ascertain the principal reason.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:15-acids-in-the-kitchen:e2:2
# text = Ascertain the principal reason.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	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	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The vinegar forms an airtight layer of fat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:15-acids-in-the-kitchen:e2:o1:1
# text = The vinegar forms an airtight layer of fat
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	vinegar	vinegar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	forms	form	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	airtight	airtight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	layer	layer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	fat	fat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **form** | present | the vinegar | a airtight layer of fat |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location layer=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The vinegar maintains a very low temperature

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:15-acids-in-the-kitchen:e2:o2:1
# text = The vinegar maintains a very low temperature
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	vinegar	vinegar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	maintains	maintain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	very	very	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	temperature	temperature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **maintain** | present | the vinegar | a low temperature |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent temperature=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The vinegar removes all the water from the vegetables

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:15-acids-in-the-kitchen:e2:o3:1
# text = The vinegar removes all the water from the vegetables
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	vinegar	vinegar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	removes	remove	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	6	det:predet	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	vegetables	vegetable	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **remove** | present | the vinegar | all water |  | the vegetables |  |  | vn fire-10.10 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent water=Theme from vegetable=Source |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The acidity prevents the growth of most germs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:15-acids-in-the-kitchen:e2:o4:1
# text = The acidity prevents the growth of most germs
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	acidity	acidity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	prevents	prevent	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	growth	growth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	8	amod	_	_
8	germs	germ	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prevent** | present | the acidity | the growth of most germs |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer growth=Theme |
| 2 | **grow** |  | most germs |  |  |  |  |  | nom growth «process intransitive»: of=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.

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