Exam question 1 · Heroic Romances, The Finding of Oisin: Fionn finds a naked…

Which of the following best describes the manner in which the five hounds conducted their combat against the assembled pack?

Mova's choice: option 1 · The right answer: option 3 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: five hounds, hounds · What happens: follow, describe, conduct, assemble, combat · To what, where: manner, combat

This is exam question 1 of lesson 1050 «Heroic Romances, The Finding of Oisin: Fionn finds a naked boy among the fighting hounds and takes him home as his own» 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	Which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	6 describes	obj
2	of	of	ADP	_	5 best	case
3	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	5 best	det
4	following	follow	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	5 best	case
5	best	good	ADJ	Degree=Sup	6 describes	nmod
6	describes	describe	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin	root	root
7	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	8 manner	det
8	manner	manner	NOUN	Number=Sing	6 describes	obj
9	in	in	ADP	_	10 which	case
10	which	which	PRON	PronType=Rel	14 conducted	obl
11	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	13 hounds	det
12	five	five	NUM	NumForm=Word NumType=Card	13 hounds	nummod
13	hounds	hound	NOUN	Number=Plur	14 conducted	nsubj
14	conducted	conduct	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	8 manner	acl:relcl
15	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	16 combat	nmod:poss
16	combat	combat	NOUN	Number=Sing	14 conducted	obj
17	against	against	ADP	_	20 pack	case
18	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	20 pack	det
19	assembled	assemble	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	20 pack	amod
20	pack	pack	NOUN	Number=Sing	14 conducted	obl
21	?	?	PUNCT	_	6 describes	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	follow	gerund					vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme
2	describe	present		the manner		of the best	tree rules
3	conduct	past	the five hounds	hounds's combat	the manner	against the assembled pack	vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent combat=Theme in which=Destination
4	assemble	participle					vn herd-47.5.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme
5	combat		hounds = hound				nom combat «act transitive»: poss=agent

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

They fought in a ring, uplifting their heads and calling out for their master between each onslaught, and they never once broke the circle or gave ground to the pack.

The tree, 30 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	They	they	PRON	Case=Nom Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 fought	nsubj
2	fought	fight	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	in	in	ADP	_	5 ring	case
4	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	5 ring	det
5	ring	ring	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 fought	obl
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	7 uplifting	punct
7	uplifting	uplift	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	2 fought	advcl
8	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	9 heads	nmod:poss
9	heads	head	NOUN	Number=Plur	7 uplifting	obj
10	and	and	CCONJ	_	11 calling	cc
11	calling	call	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	7 uplifting	conj
12	out	out	ADP	_	11 calling	compound:prt
13	for	for	ADP	_	15 master	case
14	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	15 master	nmod:poss
15	master	master	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 calling	obl
16	between	between	ADP	_	18 onslaught	case
17	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	18 onslaught	det
18	onslaught	onslaught	NOUN	Number=Sing	15 master	nmod
19	,	,	PUNCT	_	24 broke	punct
20	and	and	CCONJ	_	24 broke	cc
21	they	they	PRON	Case=Nom Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs	24 broke	nsubj
22	never	never	ADV	PronType=Neg	23 once	advmod
23	once	once	ADV	NumForm=Word NumType=Mult	24 broke	advmod
24	broke	break	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 fought	parataxis
25	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	26 circle	det
26	circle	circle	NOUN	Number=Sing	24 broke	obj
27	or	or	CCONJ	_	28 gave	cc
28	gave	give	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	24 broke	conj
29	ground	ground	NOUN	Number=Sing	28 gave	obj
30	to	to	ADP	_	32 pack	case
31	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	32 pack	det
32	pack	pack	NOUN	Number=Sing	28 gave	obl
33	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 fought	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	other	roles by
1	fight	past	They			a ring		vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent
2	uplift	gerund	They not said here	their heads				vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus head=Experiencer
3	call out speech: assert	gerund	They not said here				for heads's master between each onslaught	vn manner_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient S_INF»: agent=Agent for master=Recipient
4	break	past	heads = head	the circle			once property	vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer circle=Patient
5	give	past	heads = head not said here	ground	the pack			vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent ground=Theme to pack=Recipient

Option 2

They ran in a circle, barking at the dogs before each charge, but never called for their master.

The tree, 18 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	They	they	PRON	Case=Nom Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 ran	nsubj
2	ran	run	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	in	in	ADP	_	5 circle	case
4	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	5 circle	det
5	circle	circle	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 ran	obl
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	7 barking	punct
7	barking	bark	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	2 ran	advcl
8	at	at	ADP	_	10 dogs	case
9	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	10 dogs	det
10	dogs	dog	NOUN	Number=Plur	7 barking	obl
11	before	before	ADP	_	13 charge	case
12	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	13 charge	det
13	charge	charge	NOUN	Number=Sing	7 barking	obl
14	,	,	PUNCT	_	17 called	punct
15	but	but	CCONJ	_	17 called	cc
16	never	never	ADV	PronType=Neg	17 called	advmod
17	called	call	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 ran	parataxis
18	for	for	ADP	_	20 master	case
19	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	20 master	nmod:poss
20	master	master	NOUN	Number=Sing	17 called	obl
21	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 ran	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	where	when	other	roles by
1	run	past	They	a circle			vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in circle=Trajectory
2	bark	gerund	They not said here		before each charge	at the dogs	vn animal_sounds-38 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Agent at dog=Stimulus
3	not call	participle				for dogs's master	vn manner_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient S_INF»: agent=Agent for master=Recipient

Option 3 · ✓ the right answer

They fought in a ring, uplifting their heads and calling out for their master between each onslaught.

The tree, 17 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	They	they	PRON	Case=Nom Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 fought	nsubj
2	fought	fight	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	in	in	ADP	_	5 ring	case
4	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	5 ring	det
5	ring	ring	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 fought	obl
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	7 uplifting	punct
7	uplifting	uplift	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	2 fought	advcl
8	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	9 heads	nmod:poss
9	heads	head	NOUN	Number=Plur	7 uplifting	obj
10	and	and	CCONJ	_	11 calling	cc
11	calling	call	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	7 uplifting	conj
12	out	out	ADP	_	11 calling	compound:prt
13	for	for	ADP	_	15 master	case
14	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	15 master	nmod:poss
15	master	master	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 calling	obl
16	between	between	ADP	_	18 onslaught	case
17	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	18 onslaught	det
18	onslaught	onslaught	NOUN	Number=Sing	15 master	nmod
19	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 fought	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	fight	past	They		a ring		vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent
2	uplift	gerund	They not said here	their heads			vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus head=Experiencer
3	call out speech: assert	gerund	They not said here			for heads's master between each onslaught	vn manner_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient S_INF»: agent=Agent for master=Recipient

Option 4

They fought in a circle, lowering their heads and staying silent until the end of each attack.

The tree, 17 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	They	they	PRON	Case=Nom Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 fought	nsubj
2	fought	fight	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	in	in	ADP	_	5 circle	case
4	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	5 circle	det
5	circle	circle	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 fought	obl
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	7 lowering	punct
7	lowering	lower	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	2 fought	advcl
8	their	their	PRON	Case=Gen Number=Plur Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	9 heads	nmod:poss
9	heads	head	NOUN	Number=Plur	7 lowering	obj
10	and	and	CCONJ	_	11 staying	cc
11	staying	stay	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	7 lowering	conj
12	silent	silent	ADJ	Degree=Pos	11 staying	xcomp
13	until	until	ADP	_	15 end	case
14	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	15 end	det
15	end	end	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 staying	obl
16	of	of	ADP	_	18 attack	case
17	each	each	DET	PronType=Tot	18 attack	det
18	attack	attack	NOUN	Number=Sing	15 end	nmod
19	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 fought	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	fight	past	They		a circle			vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent
2	lower	gerund	They not said here	their heads				vn put_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent head=Theme
3	stay	gerund	They not said here			until the end of each attack	silent property	vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=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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