Exam question 4 · Blue Fairy Book, The White Cat, part 38: the Prince dines…
What is the principal purpose of the White Cat's acorn within the narrative?
Mova's choice: option 1 · The right answer: option 1 · right ✓ · Who acts: principal purpose, acorn · What happens: be, purpose
This is exam question 4 of lesson 1451 «Blue Fairy Book, The White Cat, part 38: the Prince dines with the White Cat and goes home with a tiny dog» 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 | What | what | PRON | PronType=Int | root | root |
| 2 | is | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 1 What | cop |
| 3 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 5 purpose | det |
| 4 | principal | principal | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 5 purpose | amod |
| 5 | purpose | purpose | NOUN | Number=Sing | 1 What | nsubj |
| 6 | of | of | ADP | _ | 11 acorn | case |
| 7 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 9 Cat | det |
| 8 | White | White | PROPN | Number=Sing | 9 Cat | compound |
| 9 | Cat | Cat | PROPN | Number=Sing | 11 acorn | nmod:poss |
| 10 | 's | 's | PART | _ | 9 Cat | case |
| 11 | acorn | acorn | NOUN | Number=Sing | 5 purpose | nmod |
| 12 | within | within | ADP | _ | 14 narrative | case |
| 13 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 14 narrative | det |
| 14 | narrative | narrative | NOUN | Number=Sing | 11 acorn | nmod |
| 15 | ? | ? | PUNCT | _ | 1 What | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | is a | present | the principal purpose of the White Cat's acorn within the narrative | tree rules | |||||
| 2 | purpose | the White Cat's acorn within the narrative | nom purpose «cognition intransitive»: of=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 · ✓ the right answer
It shows that a dog fitting the King's wish can be carried small
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It | it | PRON | Case=Nom Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 2 shows | nsubj |
| 2 | shows | show | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 3 | that | that | SCONJ | _ | 13 carried | mark |
| 4 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 5 dog | det |
| 5 | dog | dog | NOUN | Number=Sing | 13 carried | nsubj:pass |
| 6 | fitting | fit | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 5 dog | acl |
| 7 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 8 King | det |
| 8 | King | King | PROPN | Number=Sing | 10 wish | nmod:poss |
| 9 | 's | 's | PART | _ | 8 King | case |
| 10 | wish | wish | NOUN | Number=Sing | 6 fitting | obj |
| 11 | can | can | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 13 carried | aux |
| 12 | be | be | AUX | VerbForm=Inf | 13 carried | aux:pass |
| 13 | carried | carry | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 2 shows | ccomp |
| 14 | small | small | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 13 carried | xcomp |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | show | present | It | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | |||||
| 2 | fit | gerund | a dog not said here | the King's wish | vn adjust-26.9 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wish=Patient | ||||
| 3 | carry | can · passive | a dog | small property | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme | ||||
| 4 | wish | the King | nom wish «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |
Option 2
It is a pretty gift from the White Cat's own hand
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It | it | PRON | Case=Nom Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 5 gift | nsubj |
| 2 | is | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 5 gift | cop |
| 3 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 5 gift | det |
| 4 | pretty | pretty | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 5 gift | amod |
| 5 | gift | gift | NOUN | Number=Sing | root | root |
| 6 | from | from | ADP | _ | 12 hand | case |
| 7 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 9 Cat | det |
| 8 | White | White | PROPN | Number=Sing | 9 Cat | compound |
| 9 | Cat | Cat | PROPN | Number=Sing | 12 hand | nmod:poss |
| 10 | 's | 's | PART | _ | 9 Cat | case |
| 11 | own | own | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 12 hand | amod |
| 12 | hand | hand | NOUN | Number=Sing | 5 gift | nmod |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | is a | present | It | a pretty gift | the White Cat's own hand | tree rules |
Option 3
It shows that a dog fitting the King's wish can be carried small, so the Prince wins the wager and the court is amazed
The tree, 25 words
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It | it | PRON | Case=Nom Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 2 shows | nsubj |
| 2 | shows | show | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 3 | that | that | SCONJ | _ | 13 carried | mark |
| 4 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 5 dog | det |
| 5 | dog | dog | NOUN | Number=Sing | 13 carried | nsubj:pass |
| 6 | fitting | fit | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 5 dog | acl |
| 7 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 8 King | det |
| 8 | King | King | PROPN | Number=Sing | 10 wish | nmod:poss |
| 9 | 's | 's | PART | _ | 8 King | case |
| 10 | wish | wish | NOUN | Number=Sing | 6 fitting | obj |
| 11 | can | can | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 13 carried | aux |
| 12 | be | be | AUX | VerbForm=Inf | 13 carried | aux:pass |
| 13 | carried | carry | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 2 shows | ccomp |
| 14 | small | small | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 13 carried | xcomp |
| 15 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 19 wins | punct |
| 16 | so | so | ADV | _ | 19 wins | advmod |
| 17 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 18 Prince | det |
| 18 | Prince | Prince | PROPN | Number=Sing | 19 wins | nsubj |
| 19 | wins | win | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 2 shows | parataxis |
| 20 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 21 wager | det |
| 21 | wager | wager | NOUN | Number=Sing | 19 wins | obj |
| 22 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 26 amazed | cc |
| 23 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 24 court | det |
| 24 | court | court | NOUN | Number=Sing | 26 amazed | nsubj |
| 25 | is | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 26 amazed | cop |
| 26 | amazed | amazed | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 19 wins | conj |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | show | present | It | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | |||||
| 2 | fit | gerund | a dog not said here | the King's wish | vn adjust-26.9 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wish=Patient | ||||
| 3 | carry | can · passive | a dog | small property | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme | ||||
| 4 | win | present | the Prince | the wager | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wager=Eventuality | ||||
| 5 | is | present | the court | amazed property | tree rules | ||||
| 6 | wish | the King | nom wish «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |
Option 4
It shows that a dog fitting the King's wish can be carried small, a clever trick the Queen of Cats taught the Prince to play
The tree, 26 words
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It | it | PRON | Case=Nom Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 2 shows | nsubj |
| 2 | shows | show | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 3 | that | that | SCONJ | _ | 13 carried | mark |
| 4 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 5 dog | det |
| 5 | dog | dog | NOUN | Number=Sing | 13 carried | nsubj:pass |
| 6 | fitting | fit | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 5 dog | acl |
| 7 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 8 King | det |
| 8 | King | King | PROPN | Number=Sing | 10 wish | nmod:poss |
| 9 | 's | 's | PART | _ | 8 King | case |
| 10 | wish | wish | NOUN | Number=Sing | 6 fitting | obj |
| 11 | can | can | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 13 carried | aux |
| 12 | be | be | AUX | VerbForm=Inf | 13 carried | aux:pass |
| 13 | carried | carry | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 2 shows | ccomp |
| 14 | small | small | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 13 carried | xcomp |
| 15 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 18 trick | punct |
| 16 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 18 trick | det |
| 17 | clever | clever | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 18 trick | amod |
| 18 | trick | trick | NOUN | Number=Sing | 23 taught | nsubj |
| 19 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 20 Queen | det |
| 20 | Queen | Queen | PROPN | Number=Sing | 18 trick | appos |
| 21 | of | of | ADP | _ | 22 Cats | case |
| 22 | Cats | cat | NOUN | Number=Plur | 23 taught | obl |
| 23 | taught | teach | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 2 shows | parataxis |
| 24 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 25 Prince | det |
| 25 | Prince | Prince | PROPN | Number=Sing | 23 taught | obj |
| 26 | to | to | PART | _ | 27 play | mark |
| 27 | play | play | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | 23 taught | xcomp |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | show | present | It | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | |||||
| 2 | fit | gerund | a dog not said here | the King's wish | vn adjust-26.9 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wish=Patient | ||||
| 3 | carry | can · passive | a dog | small property | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme | ||||
| 4 | teach speech: other | past | a clever trick | the Prince | of Cats | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S_INF»: agent=Agent prince=Recipient clause=Topic | |||
| 5 | play | to-infinitive | a clever trick not said here | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | |||||
| 6 | wish | the King | nom wish «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |
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.
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1451-pg503-part38/e4/