---
title: An egg sinks in a glass of tap water. You stir in lots of salt and t… — Floating and sinking: the push of water · tree and pragmatics
description: An egg sinks in a glass of tap water. You stir in lots of salt and the egg rises. Why? Test 1 · ★ of lesson 83 «Floating and sinking: the push of water» of the world 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 1 · ★ · Floating and sinking: the push of water

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An egg sinks in a glass of tap water. You stir in lots of salt and the egg rises. Why?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** egg, You · **What happens:** sink, stir, rise · **To what, where:** glass, lots

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★ of lesson 83 «Floating and sinking: the push of water» 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/83-floating-and-sinking/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* An egg sinks in a glass of tap water.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:1
# text = An egg sinks in a glass of tap water.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sinks	sink	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	tap	tap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sink** | present | a egg |  |  | a glass of tap water |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

<!-- .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:* You stir in lots of salt and the egg rises.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:2
# text = You stir in lots of salt and the egg rises.
1	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	stir	stir	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	lots	lot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	rises	rise	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stir** | present | You |  |  | lots of salt |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in lot=Location |
| 2 | **rise** | present | the egg |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:3
# 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 stirring pushes the egg up for good and it stays there

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:o1:1
# text = The stirring pushes the egg up for good and it stays there
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	stirring	stirring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	pushes	push	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	up	up	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	stays	stay	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
12	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	11	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **push up** | present | the stirring | the egg |  |  |  | for good | vn carry-11.4-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent egg=Theme |
| 2 | **stay** | present | stirring |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The salt makes the egg lighter inside

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:o2:1
# text = The salt makes the egg lighter inside
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	lighter	light	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	xcomp	_	_
7	inside	inside	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | the salt | the egg |  |  |  | inside, light *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset egg=Product |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The salt sticks to the egg and lifts it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:o3:1
# text = The salt sticks to the egg and lifts it
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sticks	stick	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	lifts	lift	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
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 | **stick** | present | the salt |  |  |  |  | to the egg | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent to egg=Co-Patient |
| 2 | **lift** | present | the salt *not said here* | salt |  |  |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The salty water pushes up harder on the egg

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t1:o4:1
# text = The salty water pushes up harder on the egg
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	salty	salty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	pushes	push	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	up	up	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	harder	hard	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	4	advmod	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **push up** | present | the salty water |  |  |  |  | on the egg; hard *property* | vn push-12-1-1 «NP V PP-Conative»: agent=Agent on egg=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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- ← previous: [Heat and temperature: how things warm…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/82-heat-and-temperature/e4/)
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