Exam question 4 · Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and The…

Identify the object which the witch instructed the soldier to use in order to protect himself against the dogs.

Mova's choice: option 1 · The right answer: option 4 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: you, witch · What happens: identify, instruct, use, protect · To what, where: object, order, himself

This is exam question 4 of lesson 1001 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and The Tinderbox, part 212: the tin soldier melts in the stove, and a soldier meets a witch by a hollow tree» of the books 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.

The question

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Identify	identify	VERB	Mood=Imp VerbForm=Fin	root	root
2	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	3 object	det
3	object	object	NOUN	Number=Sing	1 Identify	obj
4	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	7 instructed	obj
5	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	6 witch	det
6	witch	witch	NOUN	Number=Sing	7 instructed	nsubj
7	instructed	instruct	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	3 object	acl:relcl
8	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	9 soldier	det
9	soldier	soldier	NOUN	Number=Sing	7 instructed	obj
10	to	to	PART	_	11 use	mark
11	use	use	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	7 instructed	xcomp
12	in	in	ADP	_	13 order	case
13	order	order	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 use	obl
14	to	to	PART	_	15 protect	mark
15	protect	protect	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	11 use	advcl
16	himself	himself	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs Reflex=Yes	15 protect	obj
17	against	against	ADP	_	19 dogs	case
18	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	19 dogs	det
19	dogs	dog	NOUN	Number=Plur	15 protect	obl
20	.	.	PUNCT	_	1 Identify	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	identify	imperative	you not said here	the object			vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S_ING»: agent=Agent object=Theme
2	instruct speech: other	past	the witch	the object			tree rules
3	use	to-infinitive	the witch not said here		order		vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent
4	protect	to-infinitive	the witch not said here	himself = he		against the dogs	vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent himself=Beneficiary against dog=Theme

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

Option 1 · ← Mova's choice

The three dogs, which the soldier must place upon a spread blue checked cloth one after another, quietly.

The tree, 18 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	The	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	3 dogs	det
2	three	three	NUM	NumForm=Word NumType=Card	3 dogs	nummod
3	dogs	dog	NOUN	Number=Plur	14 checked	nsubj
4	,	,	PUNCT	_	9 place	punct
5	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	9 place	nsubj
6	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	7 soldier	det
7	soldier	soldier	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 place	nsubj
8	must	must	AUX	VerbForm=Fin	9 place	aux
9	place	place	NOUN	Number=Sing	3 dogs	nmod
10	upon	upon	ADP	_	13 blue	case
11	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	13 blue	det
12	spread	spread	NOUN	Number=Sing	13 blue	compound
13	blue	blue	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 place	nmod
14	checked	check	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
15	cloth	cloth	NOUN	Number=Sing	14 checked	obj
16	one	one	NUM	NumForm=Word NumType=Card	15 cloth	flat
17	after	after	ADP	_	18 another	case
18	another	another	DET	PronType=Ind	14 checked	obl
19	,	,	PUNCT	_	20 quietly	punct
20	quietly	quietly	ADV	_	14 checked	advmod
21	.	.	PUNCT	_	14 checked	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	place	must	the three dogs					upon a spread blue	tree rules
2	check	past	the three dogs	cloth			after another	quietly property	vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cloth=Theme

Option 2

The blue checked apron, which was to be spread upon the floor by the soldier, with each dog placed upon it one after another in order.

The tree, 26 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	The	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	4 apron	det
2	blue	blue	ADJ	Degree=Pos	4 apron	amod
3	checked	check	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	4 apron	amod
4	apron	apron	NOUN	Number=Sing	root	root
5	,	,	PUNCT	_	10 spread	punct
6	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	10 spread	nsubj:pass
7	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	10 spread	aux:pass
8	to	to	PART	_	10 spread	mark
9	be	be	AUX	VerbForm=Inf	10 spread	aux:pass
10	spread	spread	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	4 apron	acl:relcl
11	upon	upon	ADP	_	13 floor	case
12	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	13 floor	det
13	floor	floor	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 spread	obl
14	by	by	ADP	_	16 soldier	case
15	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	16 soldier	det
16	soldier	soldier	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 spread	obl
17	,	,	PUNCT	_	20 dog	punct
18	with	with	ADP	_	20 dog	case
19	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	20 dog	det
20	dog	dog	NOUN	Number=Sing	4 apron	conj
21	placed	place	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	20 dog	acl
22	upon	upon	ADP	_	23 it	case
23	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	21 placed	obl
24	one	one	NUM	NumForm=Word NumType=Card	21 placed	obl
25	after	after	ADP	_	26 another	case
26	another	another	DET	PronType=Ind	24 one	nmod
27	in	in	ADP	_	28 order	case
28	order	order	NOUN	Number=Sing	21 placed	obl
29	.	.	PUNCT	_	4 apron	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	check	participle					vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent
2	spread	past · passive	the soldier	the blue checked apron and each dog	the floor		vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent subject=Theme upon floor=Destination
3	place	participle	each dog not said here	one after another	order	upon dog	vn put-9.1-2 «NP V PP.destination NP»: agent=Agent upon it=Destination

Option 3

The blue checked apron, which was to be spread upon the floor and upon which each of the three dogs was to be placed in turn, while the soldier stood by.

The tree, 31 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	The	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	4 apron	det
2	blue	blue	ADJ	Degree=Pos	4 apron	amod
3	checked	check	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	4 apron	amod
4	apron	apron	NOUN	Number=Sing	root	root
5	,	,	PUNCT	_	10 spread	punct
6	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	10 spread	nsubj:pass
7	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	10 spread	aux:pass
8	to	to	PART	_	10 spread	mark
9	be	be	AUX	VerbForm=Inf	10 spread	aux:pass
10	spread	spread	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	4 apron	acl:relcl
11	upon	upon	ADP	_	13 floor	case
12	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	13 floor	det
13	floor	floor	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 spread	obl
14	and	and	CCONJ	_	25 placed	cc
15	upon	upon	ADP	_	16 which	case
16	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	25 placed	obl
17	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	25 placed	nsubj
18	of	of	ADP	_	21 dogs	case
19	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	21 dogs	det
20	three	three	NUM	NumForm=Word NumType=Card	21 dogs	nummod
21	dogs	dog	NOUN	Number=Plur	17 each	nmod
22	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	25 placed	aux:pass
23	to	to	PART	_	25 placed	mark
24	be	be	AUX	VerbForm=Inf	25 placed	aux:pass
25	placed	place	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	10 spread	conj
26	in	in	ADP	_	27 turn	case
27	turn	turn	NOUN	Number=Sing	25 placed	obl
28	,	,	PUNCT	_	32 stood	punct
29	while	while	SCONJ	_	32 stood	mark
30	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	31 soldier	det
31	soldier	soldier	NOUN	Number=Sing	32 stood	nsubj
32	stood	stand	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	25 placed	conj
33	by	by	ADP	_	32 stood	obl
34	.	.	PUNCT	_	4 apron	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	roles by
1	check	participle				vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent
2	spread	past · passive		the blue checked apron	the floor	vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme upon floor=Destination
3	place	past · passive		each	turn	vn put-9.1-2 «NP V PP.destination NP»: subject=Theme upon which=Destination
4	stand by	past	the soldier			vn assuming_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent

Option 4 · ✓ the right answer

The blue checked apron, which was to be spread upon the floor and upon which each dog was to be placed.

The tree, 21 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	The	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	4 apron	det
2	blue	blue	ADJ	Degree=Pos	4 apron	amod
3	checked	check	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	4 apron	amod
4	apron	apron	NOUN	Number=Sing	22 placed	nsubj:pass
5	,	,	PUNCT	_	10 spread	punct
6	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	10 spread	nsubj:pass
7	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	10 spread	aux:pass
8	to	to	PART	_	10 spread	mark
9	be	be	AUX	VerbForm=Inf	10 spread	aux:pass
10	spread	spread	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	4 apron	acl:relcl
11	upon	upon	ADP	_	13 floor	case
12	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	13 floor	det
13	floor	floor	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 spread	obl
14	and	and	CCONJ	_	18 dog	cc
15	upon	upon	ADP	_	16 which	case
16	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	18 dog	obl
17	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	18 dog	det
18	dog	dog	NOUN	Number=Sing	13 floor	conj
19	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	22 placed	aux:pass
20	to	to	PART	_	22 placed	mark
21	be	be	AUX	VerbForm=Inf	22 placed	aux:pass
22	placed	place	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	root	root
23	.	.	PUNCT	_	22 placed	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	what, whom	where	roles by
1	check	participle			vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent
2	spread	past · passive	the blue checked apron	the floor and each dog	vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme upon floor=Destination
3	place	past · passive	the blue checked apron		vn put-9.1-2 «NP V PP.destination NP»: subject=Theme

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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