---
title: You squeeze a ball of foil tightly into a tiny lump. It sinks, thoug… — Floating and sinking: the push of water · tree and pragmatics
description: You squeeze a ball of foil tightly into a tiny lump. It sinks, though a loose foil boat floats. Why? Test 4 · ★ 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 choi
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/83-floating-and-sinking/t4/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [World](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/) / [Floating and sinking: the push of water](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/83-floating-and-sinking/) / t4

# Test 4 · ★ · Floating and sinking: the push of water

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
You squeeze a ball of foil tightly into a tiny lump. It sinks, though a loose foil boat floats. Why?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** You, ball, loose foil boat · **What happens:** squeeze, sink, float · **To what, where:** ball, tiny lump

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ 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/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* You squeeze a ball of foil tightly into a tiny lump.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:1
# text = You squeeze a ball of foil tightly into a tiny lump.
1	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	squeeze	squeeze	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ball	ball	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	foil	foil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	tightly	tightly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
8	into	into	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	tiny	tiny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	lump	lump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **squeeze** | present | You | a ball of foil |  | a tiny lump |  | tightly *property* | vn knead-26.5 «NP V NP.material PP.product»: agent=Agent ball=Material into lump=Product |

<!-- .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:* It sinks, though a loose foil boat floats.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:2
# text = It sinks, though a loose foil boat floats.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sinks	sink	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
4	though	though	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	loose	loose	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	foil	foil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	floats	float	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sink** | present | ball |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **float** | present | a loose foil boat |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:3
# 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 -->
Squeezing it makes the foil much heavier than before

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:o1:1
# text = Squeezing it makes the foil much heavier than before
1	Squeezing	squeeze	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	csubj	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
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	foil	foil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	much	much	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	heavier	heavy	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	xcomp	_	_
8	than	than	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	before	before	ADV	RB	_	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **squeeze** | gerund |  | it |  |  |  |  | vn push-12-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 2 | **make** | present | Squeezing | the foil |  |  |  | heavy *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset foil=Product |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The boat floats only because its inside stays dry

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:o2:1
# text = The boat floats only because its inside stays dry
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	floats	float	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	inside	inside	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	stays	stay	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
9	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **float** | present | the boat |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **stay** | present | boat's inside |  |  |  |  | dry *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tight lump pushes aside too little water

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:o3:1
# text = The tight lump pushes aside too little water
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	tight	tight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	lump	lump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	pushes	push	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	aside	aside	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	too	too	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **push** | present | the tight lump | little water |  |  |  | aside *property* | vn carry-11.4-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Squeezing turns the foil into a new and heavier metal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:83-floating-and-sinking:t4:o4:1
# text = Squeezing turns the foil into a new and heavier metal
1	Squeezing	squeezing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	turns	turn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	foil	foil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
7	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	heavier	heavy	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	7	conj	_	_
10	metal	metal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | Squeezing | the foil |  | a new metal |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent foil=Theme into metal=Trajectory |

<!-- 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.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Floating and sinking: the push of water, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/83-floating-and-sinking/t3/)
- next →: [Floating and sinking: the push of water, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/83-floating-and-sinking/t5/)
- ↑ back to [Floating and sinking: the push of water](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/world/83-floating-and-sinking/)