---
title: «why are some african borders dead straight like someone used a rule… — Africa: countries and capitals · tree and pragmatics
description: «why are some african borders dead straight like someone used a ruler» Which is the best answer? Test 3 of lesson 13 «Africa: countries and capitals» of the geography 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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# Test 3 · Africa: countries and capitals

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«why are some african borders dead straight like someone used a ruler» Which is the best answer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** african borders, someone · **What happens:** be, use · **To what, where:** ruler, best answer · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 of lesson 13 «Africa: countries and capitals» of the geography 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/geography/13-africa-countries-and-capitals/#t3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:13-africa-countries-and-capitals:t3:1
# text = «why are some african borders dead straight like someone used a ruler» Which is the best answer?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
5	african	African	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	borders	border	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	csubj	_	_
8	straight	straight	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
9	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	11	nsubj	_	_
11	used	use	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	ruler	ruler	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
15	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	19	nsubj	_	_
16	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
18	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	19	amod	_	_
19	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	19	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | some african borders |  |  |  |  | dead *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **use** *in a quote* | past | someone | a ruler |  |  |  | straight *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ruler=Patient |
| 3 | **be** *speech: assert* | present |  | the best answer |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
African kings liked straight borders best, so they marked them out with stones and walls across the land

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:13-africa-countries-and-capitals:t3:o1:1
# text = African kings liked straight borders best, so they marked them out with stones and walls across the land
1	African	African	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	kings	king	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
3	liked	like	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	straight	straight	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	borders	border	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	best	well	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	marked	mark	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	out	out	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	walls	wall	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	conj	_	_
17	across	across	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	land	land	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **like** | participle | African kings *not said here* | borders |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot border=Theme |
| 2 | **mark out** | past | African kings | borders *= border* |  | the land |  | with stones and walls | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination PP.theme»: agent=Agent they=Destination with stone=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The desert winds blow the sand into straight lines

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:13-africa-countries-and-capitals:t3:o2:1
# text = The desert winds blow the sand into straight lines
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	winds	wind	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	blow	blow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	sand	sand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	into	into	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	straight	straight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	lines	line	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blow** | present | the desert winds | the sand |  | straight lines |  |  | vn build-26.1 «NP V NP.material PP.product»: agent=Agent sand=Material into line=Product |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
European powers drew many of them on maps, often with straight lines, without asking Africans

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:13-africa-countries-and-capitals:t3:o3:1
# text = European powers drew many of them on maps, often with straight lines, without asking Africans
1	European	European	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	powers	power	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	drew	draw	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nmod	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	maps	map	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	often	often	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	straight	straight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	lines	line	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	without	without	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
16	asking	ask	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	parataxis	_	_
17	Africans	African	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	16	iobj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **draw** | past | European powers | many of them |  | maps |  | with straight lines | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent many=Theme on map=Destination |
| 2 | **ask** *speech: ask* | gerund |  |  | Africans |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent african=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Straight borders follow rivers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:13-africa-countries-and-capitals:t3:o4:1
# text = Straight borders follow rivers
1	Straight	straight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	borders	border	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	follow	follow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	rivers	river	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | present | Straight borders | rivers |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent river=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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