---
title: Identify the principal reason for which a given object is perceived… — Light, shadows and colours · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which a given object is perceived as red when illuminated by white light. Exam question 3 of lesson 53 «Light, shadows and colours» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choic
---

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# Exam question 3 · Light, shadows and colours

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which a given object is perceived as red when illuminated by white light.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify, give, perceive, illuminate · **To what, where:** principal reason, given object

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 53 «Light, shadows and colours» of the world 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/world/53-light/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:53-light:e3:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which a given object is perceived as red when illuminated by white light.
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	11	obl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	object	object	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	perceived	perceive	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	_
12	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obl	_	_
14	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	15	advmod	_	_
15	illuminated	illuminate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	advcl	_	_
16	by	by	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	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 | **give** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **perceive** | present · passive |  | a given object |  |  |  | for the principal reason; as red | vn characterize-29.2 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Theme as red=Attribute |
| 4 | **illuminate** | participle |  |  |  |  |  | by white light | vn illustrate-25.3 «NP V NP»: agent=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It reflects red light and absorbs the remaining colours

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:53-light:e3:o1:1
# text = It reflects red light and absorbs the remaining colours
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	reflects	reflect	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	absorbs	absorb	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	remaining	remaining	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reflect** | present | It | red light |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **absorb** | present |  | the remaining colours |  |  |  |  | vn absorb-39.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Goal colour=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It transmits all colours save red through its body

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:53-light:e3:o2:1
# text = It transmits all colours save red through its body
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	transmits	transmit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	save	save	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	obj	_	_
7	through	through	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **transmit** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **save** | present | all colours | red |  | its body |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent red=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It emits red light generated within itself

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:53-light:e3:o3:1
# text = It emits red light generated within itself
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	emits	emit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	generated	generate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	within	within	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	itself	itself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **emit** | present | It | red light |  |  |  | within light | vn substance\_emission-43.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Source light=Theme |
| 2 | **generate** | participle |  | red light *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn grow-26.2.1 «NP.patient V PP.product»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It absorbs red light and reflects the remaining colours

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:53-light:e3:o4:1
# text = It absorbs red light and reflects the remaining colours
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	absorbs	absorb	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	reflects	reflect	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	remaining	remaining	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **absorb** | present | It | red light |  |  |  |  | vn absorb-39.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Goal light=Theme |
| 2 | **reflect** | present |  | the remaining colours |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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.

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