---
title: A pulsar's beam sweeps past the Earth 30 times a second. What does t… — How stars die · tree and pragmatics
description: A pulsar's beam sweeps past the Earth 30 times a second. What does that tell you? Test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 19 «How stars die» 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 wrong.
---

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# Test 3 · ★★★ · How stars die

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A pulsar's beam sweeps past the Earth 30 times a second. What does that tell you?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** beam, pulsar, that · **What happens:** sweep, beam, tell · **To what, where:** Earth, you · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 19 «How stars die» 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/19-how-stars-die/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A pulsar's beam sweeps past the Earth 30 times a second.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:19-how-stars-die:t3:1
# text = A pulsar's beam sweeps past the Earth 30 times a second.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pulsar	pulsar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	beam	beam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	sweeps	sweep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	past	past	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	10	nummod	_	_
10	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl:unmarked	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	second	second	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sweep** | present | a pulsar's beam |  |  | the Earth | time |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme past earth=Trajectory |
| 2 | **beam** |  | a pulsar |  |  |  |  |  | nom beam «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What does that tell you?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:19-how-stars-die:t3:2
# text = What does that tell you?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
4	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	iobj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present · do-support | that |  | you |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent you=Recipient what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Aliens are sending 30 messages a second to the Earth

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:19-how-stars-die:t3:o1:1
# text = Aliens are sending 30 messages a second to the Earth
1	Aliens	alien	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	sending	send	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	messages	message	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	second	second	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **send** | present · progressive | Aliens | 30 messages | the Earth |  | second |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent message=Theme to earth=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The star is 30 km wide and lights up once for each kilometre

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:19-how-stars-die:t3:o2:1
# text = The star is 30 km wide and lights up once for each kilometre
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	star	star	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	km	km	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
6	wide	wide	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	lights	light	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
9	up	up	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	8	advmod	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	13	det	_	_
13	kilometre	kilometre	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the star |  |  |  |  | 30 km *obl:unmarked*; wide *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **light up** | present | the star *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for each kilometre; once *property* | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for kilometre=Beneficiary |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The star is 30 years old and flashes once for every year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:19-how-stars-die:t3:o3:1
# text = The star is 30 years old and flashes once for every year
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	star	star	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
6	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	flashes	flash	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
9	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	8	advmod	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
12	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the star |  |  |  | year | old *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **flash** | present | the star *not said here* |  |  |  | year | once *property* | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The neutron star spins 30 times a second

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:19-how-stars-die:t3:o4:1
# text = The neutron star spins 30 times a second
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	neutron	neutron	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	star	star	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	spins	spin	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	second	second	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spin** | present | the neutron star |  |  |  | time |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=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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