---
title: Josh says the top layer of a cliff must be the oldest because it's b… — Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks · tree and pragmatics
description: Josh says the top layer of a cliff must be the oldest because it's been there longest in the sun. Put him right. Test 1 · ★ of lesson 49 «Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks» of the geography course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; M
---

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# Test 1 · ★ · Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Josh says the top layer of a cliff must be the oldest because it's been there longest in the sun. Put him right.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Josh, top layer, layer · **What happens:** say, be, put · **To what, where:** Josh · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★ of lesson 49 «Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks» 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/49-sedimentary-and-metamorphic-rocks/#t1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:49-sedimentary-and-metamorphic-rocks:t1:1
# text = Josh says the top layer of a cliff must be the oldest because it's been there longest in the sun. Put him right.
1	Josh	Josh	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	top	top	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	layer	layer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cliff	cliff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
10	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	cop	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	oldest	old	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	ccomp	_	_
13	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	cop	_	_
16	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	17	cop	_	_
17	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	22	advmod	_	_
18	longest	long	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	17	amod	_	_
19	in	in	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	sun.	sun.	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
22	Put	put	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	12	parataxis	_	_
23	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	obj	_	_
24	right	right	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Josh |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | must | the top layer of a cliff |  |  |  |  | old *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | present | layer |  |  |  |  | there *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **put** | infinitive |  |  | Josh |  |  | right *property* | vn invest-13.5.4-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent he=Goal |

<!-- .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 -->
The middle layer is always the oldest

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:49-sedimentary-and-metamorphic-rocks:t1:o1:1
# text = The middle layer is always the oldest
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	middle	middle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	layer	layer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	7	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	oldest	old	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, the top is always oldest because the sun has baked it longest

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:49-sedimentary-and-metamorphic-rocks:t1:o2:1
# text = He's right, the top is always oldest because the sun has baked it longest
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	top	top	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	9	advmod	_	_
9	oldest	old	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	3	obl	_	_
10	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	sun	sun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
13	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	baked	bake	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	advcl	_	_
15	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	obj	_	_
16	longest	long	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	14	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the top |  |  |  |  | always, old *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **bake** | present · perfect · passive |  | the sun |  |  |  |  | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP.beneficiary NP»: subject=Beneficiary it=Product |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In undisturbed layers the bottom ones were laid down first and are oldest

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:49-sedimentary-and-metamorphic-rocks:t1:o3:1
# text = In undisturbed layers the bottom ones were laid down first and are oldest
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	undisturbed	undisturbed	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	layers	layer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	bottom	bottom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	ones	one	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	laid	lay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	down	down	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	8	advmod	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	oldest	old	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay down** | past · passive |  | the bottom ones |  | undisturbed layers |  | first *property* | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in layer=Destination |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | old *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
All the layers were made on the same day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:49-sedimentary-and-metamorphic-rocks:t1:o4:1
# text = All the layers were made on the same day
1	All	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	3	det:predet	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	layers	layer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | past · passive |  | all layers |  |  | day |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: subject=Product |

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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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- ← previous: [Igneous rocks and the rock cycle, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/geography/48-igneous-rocks-and-the-rock-cycle/e4/)
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