---
title: Uranus kept drifting off its predicted path. What did Le Verrier rea… — How we know: measuring the sky · tree and pragmatics
description: Uranus kept drifting off its predicted path. What did Le Verrier reason? Test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 28 «How we know: measuring the sky» 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 8 · ★★★ · How we know: measuring the sky

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Uranus kept drifting off its predicted path. What did Le Verrier reason?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Uranus · **What happens:** keep, drift off, predict, do · **To what, where:** predicted path, Le reason

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This is test 8 · ★★★ of lesson 28 «How we know: measuring the sky» 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/28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Uranus kept drifting off its predicted path.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky:t8:1
# text = Uranus kept drifting off its predicted path.
1	Uranus	Uranus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	drifting	drift	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	off	off	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
6	predicted	predict	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	amod	_	_
7	path	path	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past | Uranus |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **drift off** | gerund | Uranus *not said here* | its predicted path |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **predict** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V how S»: agent=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What did Le Verrier reason?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky:t8:2
# text = What did Le Verrier reason?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	2	nsubj	_	_
2	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	Le	Le	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
4	Verrier	Verrier	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	flat	_	_
5	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | past |  | Le reason |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Eventuality |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The telescopes must all be broken and showing it wrong

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky:t8:o1:1
# text = The telescopes must all be broken and showing it wrong
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	telescopes	telescope	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	all	all	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	showing	show	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	conj	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** | must · passive |  | the telescopes |  |  |  | all, wrong *property* | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **show** | gerund |  | it |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent it=Recipient |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An unseen planet's gravity must be pulling it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky:t8:o2:1
# text = An unseen planet's gravity must be pulling it
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	unseen	unseen	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	planet	planet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	gravity	gravity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	aux	_	_
8	pulling	pull	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pull** | must · progressive | a unseen planet's gravity | planet |  |  |  |  | vn push-12-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Uranus must be running out of fuel and slowing down

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky:t8:o3:1
# text = Uranus must be running out of fuel and slowing down
1	Uranus	Uranus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	running	run	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	out	out	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	fuel	fuel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	slowing	slow	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	conj	_	_
10	down	down	ADP	RP	_	9	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | must · progressive | Uranus |  |  | fuel |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme out fuel=Trajectory |
| 2 | **slow down** | gerund | Uranus *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Uranus must be changing its mass as it loses its rings

```conllu
# sent_id = question:space:28-how-we-know-measuring-the-sky:t8:o4:1
# text = Uranus must be changing its mass as it loses its rings
1	Uranus	Uranus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	changing	change	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	mass	mass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	loses	lose	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	rings	ring	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | must · progressive | Uranus | its mass |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mass=Patient |
| 2 | **lose** | present | mass | mass's rings |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ring=Eventuality |

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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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