---
title: Identify the principal reason for which the word «starving» constitu… — ★★★ Olympiad: hyperbole and downplayin… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which the word «starving» constitutes hyperbole in one context and a literal statement in another. Exam question 3 of lesson 55 «★★★ Olympiad: hyperbole and downplaying puzzles» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics
---

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# Exam question 3 · ★★★ Olympiad: hyperbole and downplaying puzzles

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which the word «starving» constitutes hyperbole in one context and a literal statement in another.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, word · **What happens:** identify, starve, constitute · **To what, where:** principal reason, hyperbole, one context

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 55 «★★★ Olympiad: hyperbole and downplaying puzzles» of the language 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/language/55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles:e3:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which the word «starving» constitutes hyperbole in one context and a literal statement in another.
1	Identify	identify	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	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	starving	starve	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	_
12	constitutes	constitute	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
13	hyperbole	hyperbole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	nummod	_	_
16	context	context	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
19	literal	literal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	statement	statement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	conj	_	_
21	in	in	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
22	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	20	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **starve** *in a quote* | gerund | the word *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **constitute** | present | the word | hyperbole |  | one context and a literal statement in another |  | for the principal reason | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme hyperbole=Pivot |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The circumstances determine whether the word exceeds or matches the facts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles:e3:o1:1
# text = The circumstances determine whether the word exceeds or matches the facts
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	circumstances	circumstance	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	determine	determine	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	exceeds	exceed	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	matches	match	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | present | the circumstances |  |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **exceed** | present | the word |  |  |  |  |  | vn exceed-90 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **match** | present | the word *not said here* | the facts |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fact=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The word bears a different spelling in works of history

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles:e3:o2:1
# text = The word bears a different spelling in works of history
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	bears	bear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	spelling	spelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	appos	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	works	work	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **work** |  | history |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The word is invariably employed as hyperbole

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles:e3:o3:1
# text = The word is invariably employed as hyperbole
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	as	as	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	hyperbole	hyperbole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **employ** | present · passive |  | the word |  |  |  | as hyperbole; invariably *property* | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: subject=Theme as hyperbole=Attribute |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The word is invariably employed literally

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles:e3:o4:1
# text = The word is invariably employed literally
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	literally	literally	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **employ** | present · passive |  | the word |  |  |  | invariably, literally *property* | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP»: subject=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 -->

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- ← previous: [★★★ Olympiad: hyperbole and downplayin…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles/e2/)
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- ↑ back to [★★★ Olympiad: hyperbole and downplaying puzzles](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/55-olympiad-hyperbole-and-downplaying-puzzles/)