---
title: Ascertain the principal reason for the location of numerous great de… — Deserts · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the principal reason for the location of numerous great deserts at approximately thirty degrees of latitude north and south of the equator. Exam question 4 of lesson 18 «Deserts» of the geography course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and o
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/18-deserts/e4/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Geography](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/) / [Deserts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/18-deserts/) / e4

# Exam question 4 · Deserts

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the principal reason for the location of numerous great deserts at approximately thirty degrees of latitude north and south of the equator.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain · **To what, where:** principal reason, thirty degrees

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 18 «Deserts» of the geography 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/geography/18-deserts/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:18-deserts:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the principal reason for the location of numerous great deserts at approximately thirty degrees of latitude north and south of the equator.
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	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	location	location	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	numerous	numerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	deserts	desert	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
12	at	at	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	approximately	approximately	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	thirty	thirty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	15	nummod	_	_
15	degrees	degree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	latitude	latitude	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	north	north	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	south	south	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	conj	_	_
21	of	of	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	equator	equator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	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 |  | thirty degrees of latitude north and south of the equator |  | for the location of numerous great deserts | vn ensure-99 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Precondition reason=Theme for location=Beneficiary |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dry air, having discharged its moisture over the tropics, descends in those latitudes, thereby inhibiting the formation of cloud

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:18-deserts:e4:o1:1
# text = Dry air, having discharged its moisture over the tropics, descends in those latitudes, thereby inhibiting the formation of cloud
1	Dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	aux	_	_
5	discharged	discharge	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	2	acl:relcl	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	moisture	moisture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	over	over	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	tropics	tropic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
12	descends	descend	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	15	det	_	_
15	latitudes	latitude	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
17	thereby	thereby	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
18	inhibiting	inhibit	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	advcl	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	formation	formation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	_
21	of	of	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
22	cloud	cloud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discharge** | gerund · perfect | Dry air *not said here* | air's moisture |  | the tropics |  |  | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent moisture=Theme |
| 2 | **descend** | present | Dry air |  |  | that latitudes |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **inhibit** | gerund | Dry air *not said here* | the formation of cloud |  |  |  | thereby *property* | vn discourage-64.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer formation=Eventuality |
| 4 | **moisten** |  | air |  |  |  |  |  | nom moisture «state transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Those latitudes lie closest to the Sun

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:18-deserts:e4:o2:1
# text = Those latitudes lie closest to the Sun
1	Those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	latitudes	latitude	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	lie	lie	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	closest	close	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	3	parataxis	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lie** | present | that latitudes |  |  |  |  | to the Sun | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Those latitudes receive no sunlight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:18-deserts:e4:o3:1
# text = Those latitudes receive no sunlight
1	Those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	latitudes	latitude	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	receive	receive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	sunlight	sunlight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **receive** | present | that latitudes | no sunlight |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sunlight=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Those latitudes are encircled by mountain ranges

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:18-deserts:e4:o4:1
# text = Those latitudes are encircled by mountain ranges
1	Those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	latitudes	latitude	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	encircled	encircle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	mountain	mountain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	ranges	range	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **encircle** | present · passive | mountain ranges | that latitudes |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme subject=Co-Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Deserts, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/18-deserts/e3/)
- next →: [Straits: Bosporus, Gibraltar, Malacca,…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/19-straits-the-narrow-doors/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Deserts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/18-deserts/)