---
title: A shadow stick is put in the ground. During the day its shadow first… — Thinking it through — forces, heat, li… · tree and pragmatics
description: A shadow stick is put in the ground. During the day its shadow first shortens, then grows again. Why? Test 2 · ★★★ of lesson 60 «Thinking it through — forces, heat, light and energy» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

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# Test 2 · ★★★ · Thinking it through — forces, heat, light and energy

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A shadow stick is put in the ground. During the day its shadow first shortens, then grows again. Why?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** shadow, ground · **What happens:** put, shorten, grow, shadow · **To what, where:** shadow stick, ground

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 · ★★★ of lesson 60 «Thinking it through — forces, heat, light and energy» of the world 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/world/60-reasoning-energy-technology/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A shadow stick is put in the ground.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:1
# text = A shadow stick is put in the ground.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	shadow	shadow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	put	put	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | present · passive |  | a shadow stick |  | the ground |  |  | vn put-9.1-2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in ground=Destination |

<!-- .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:* During the day its shadow first shortens, then grows again.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:2
# text = During the day its shadow first shortens, then grows again.
1	During	during	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	shadow	shadow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	7	advmod	_	_
7	shortens	shorten	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	10	advmod	_	_
10	grows	grow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
11	again	again	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shorten** | present | ground's shadow |  |  |  | day | first *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **grow** | present | ground's shadow *not said here* |  |  |  | then; again |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **shadow** |  | ground |  |  |  |  |  | nom shadow «state transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Why?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:3
# text = Why?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The stick grows and shrinks with the heat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:o1:1
# text = The stick grows and shrinks with the heat
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	grows	grow	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	shrinks	shrink	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | present | the stick |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **shrink** | present | the stick *not said here* |  |  |  |  | with the heat | vn bend-45.2 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent with heat=Instrument |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Sun climbs higher until midday, then sinks lower

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:o2:1
# text = The Sun climbs higher until midday, then sinks lower
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	climbs	climb	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	higher	high	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	xcomp	_	_
5	until	until	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	midday	midday	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	9	advmod	_	_
9	sinks	sink	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
10	lower	low	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	9	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **climb** | present | the Sun |  |  |  | until midday | high *property* | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **sink** | present | the Sun *not said here* |  |  |  | then | low *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Clouds make shadows change their length

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:o3:1
# text = Clouds make shadows change their length
1	Clouds	cloud	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	shadows	shadow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	change	change	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	length	length	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | Clouds | shadows |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **change** | infinitive | shadows *not said here* | Clouds's length |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent length=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Earth moves closer to the Sun at noon

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:60-reasoning-energy-technology:t2:o4:1
# text = The Earth moves closer to the Sun at noon
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	moves	move	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	closer	close	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Sun	Sun	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	noon	noon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **move** | present | the Earth |  |  |  | noon | to the Sun *result*; close *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme to sun=Result |

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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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