---
title: Why are the stars of the Pleiades close together in the sky? — How stars live · tree and pragmatics
description: Why are the stars of the Pleiades close together in the sky? Test 7 · ★★ of lesson 18 «How stars live» of the space course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 7 · ★★ · How stars live

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why are the stars of the Pleiades close together in the sky?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** stars · **What happens:** be, close · **To what, where:** stars

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★ of lesson 18 «How stars live» of the space 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/space/18-how-stars-live/#t7).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:18-how-stars-live:t7:1
# text = Why are the stars of the Pleiades close together in the sky?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	stars	star	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Pleiades	Pleiade	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
8	close	close	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	together	together	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | the stars |  |  |  | of the Pleiades | tree rules |
| 2 | **close** | present | the stars |  |  |  |  | in the sky; together *property* | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient PP.theme»: agent=Agent in sky=Topic |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are the bright leftovers of a big comet that broke up near the Sun

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:18-how-stars-live:t7:o1:1
# text = They are the bright leftovers of a big comet that broke up near the Sun
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	bright	bright	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	leftovers	leftover	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	comet	comet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	broke	break	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	up	up	ADP	RP	_	11	compound:prt	_	_
13	near	near	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | the bright leftovers |  |  |  | of a big comet | tree rules |
| 2 | **break up** | past | a big comet |  |  | the Sun |  |  | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were born from the same cloud and stay together for a while

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:18-how-stars-live:t7:o2:1
# text = They were born from the same cloud and stay together for a while
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	born	bear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	cloud	cloud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	stay	stay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
10	together	together	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	while	while	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bear** | past · passive |  | They |  | the same cloud |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **stay together** | infinitive |  |  |  |  | while | together *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were pushed together into one small group by the pull of Jupiter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:18-how-stars-live:t7:o3:1
# text = They were pushed together into one small group by the pull of Jupiter
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	pushed	push	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	together	together	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
7	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	group	group	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	pull	pull	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	Jupiter	Jupiter	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **push together** | past · passive | the pull of Jupiter | They |  | one small group |  | together *property* | vn funnel-9.3-1-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent subject=Theme into group=Destination |
| 2 | **pull** |  |  | Jupiter |  |  |  |  | nom pull «act transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are all the same star seen many times over because its light bends

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:18-how-stars-live:t7:o4:1
# text = They are all the same star seen many times over because its light bends
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	all	all	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	star	star	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	seen	see	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl:unmarked	_	_
10	over	over	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
11	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	bends	bend	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | the same star |  |  |  | all *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **see over** | participle |  | the same star *not said here* |  |  | time | over *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **bend** | present | star's light |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **light** |  | star |  |  |  |  |  | nom light «phenomenon transitive»: poss=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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- ← previous: [How stars live, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/space/18-how-stars-live/t6/)
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