Exam question 1 · Arabian Nights, The Greek King and the Physician Douban, p…

Which of the following accurately characterises the king's initial response to the grand-vizir's accusation?

Mova's choice: option 1 · The right answer: option 4 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: grand vizir · What happens: follow, characteris, accuse · To what, where: initial response

This is exam question 1 of lesson 166 «Arabian Nights, The Greek King and the Physician Douban, part 6: the king doubts the vizir, then condemns the physician to death» 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	4 following	nsubj
2	of	of	ADP	_	4 following	case
3	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	4 following	det
4	following	follow	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	root	root
5	accurately	accurately	ADV	_	6 characterises	advmod
6	characterises	characteris	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin	4 following	advcl
7	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	8 king	det
8	king	king	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 response	nmod:poss
9	's	's	PART	_	8 king	case
10	initial	initial	ADJ	Degree=Pos	11 response	amod
11	response	response	NOUN	Number=Sing	6 characterises	obj
12	to	to	ADP	_	18 accusation	case
13	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	16 vizir	det
14	grand	grand	ADJ	Degree=Pos	16 vizir	amod
15	-	-	PUNCT	_	14 grand	punct
16	vizir	vizir	NOUN	Number=Sing	18 accusation	nmod:poss
17	's	's	PART	_	16 vizir	case
18	accusation	accusation	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 response	nmod
19	?	?	PUNCT	_	4 following	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	other	roles by
1	follow	gerund				vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme
2	characteris	present		the king's initial response	to the grand vizir's accusation; accurately property	tree rules
3	accuse		the grand vizir			nom accusation «communication 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

He accepted it, fearing that the physician had come as a spy for the Greeks

The tree, 15 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 accepted	nsubj
2	accepted	accept	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 accepted	obj
4	,	,	PUNCT	_	5 fearing	punct
5	fearing	fear	VERB	VerbForm=Ger	2 accepted	advcl
6	that	that	SCONJ	_	10 come	mark
7	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	8 physician	det
8	physician	physician	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 come	nsubj
9	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	10 come	aux
10	come	come	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part	2 accepted	advcl
11	as	as	ADP	_	13 spy	case
12	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	13 spy	det
13	spy	spy	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 come	obl
14	for	for	ADP	_	16 Greeks	case
15	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	16 Greeks	det
16	Greeks	Greek	PROPN	Number=Plur	10 come	obl

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	other	roles by
1	accept	past	He	it		vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme
2	fear	gerund	He not said here			vn marvel-31.3 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer
3	come	past · perfect	the physician		as a spy; for the Greeks	vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme

Option 2

He doubted it, but feared the vizir's power over the court and so agreed

The tree, 15 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 doubted	nsubj
2	doubted	doubt	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 doubted	obj
4	,	,	PUNCT	_	6 feared	punct
5	but	but	CCONJ	_	6 feared	cc
6	feared	fear	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 doubted	conj
7	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	8 vizir	det
8	vizir	vizir	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 power	nmod:poss
9	's	's	PART	_	8 vizir	case
10	power	power	NOUN	Number=Sing	6 feared	obj
11	over	over	ADP	_	13 court	case
12	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	13 court	det
13	court	court	NOUN	Number=Sing	6 feared	obl
14	and	and	CCONJ	_	16 agreed	cc
15	so	so	ADV	_	16 agreed	advmod
16	agreed	agree	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 doubted	conj

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	roles by
1	doubt	past	He	it		vn judgment-33.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme
2	fear	past	He not said here	the vizir's power	the court	vn admire-31.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer power=Stimulus
3	agree speech: agree	participle	He not said here			vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent

Option 3

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to wait and see whether the physician might prove loyal to him after all

The tree, 21 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 hesitated	nsubj
2	hesitated	hesitate	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	for	for	ADP	_	5 moment	case
4	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	5 moment	det
5	moment	moment	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 hesitated	obl
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	8 decided	punct
7	then	then	ADV	PronType=Dem	8 decided	advmod
8	decided	decide	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 hesitated	conj
9	to	to	PART	_	10 wait	mark
10	wait	wait	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	8 decided	xcomp
11	and	and	CCONJ	_	12 see	cc
12	see	see	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	10 wait	conj
13	whether	whether	SCONJ	_	17 prove	mark
14	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	15 physician	det
15	physician	physician	NOUN	Number=Sing	17 prove	nsubj
16	might	might	AUX	VerbForm=Fin	17 prove	aux
17	prove	prove	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	12 see	advcl
18	loyal	loyal	ADJ	Degree=Pos	17 prove	xcomp
19	to	to	ADP	_	20 him	case
20	him	he	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	18 loyal	obl
21	after	after	ADP	_	22 all	case
22	all	all	DET	PronType=Tot	17 prove	obl

#	verb	tense, mood	who	when	other	roles by
1	hesitate	past	He	moment		vn linger-53.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent
2	decide	past	He not said here	then		vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V what S_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic
3	wait not said to happen	to-infinitive	He not said here			vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme
4	see	infinitive	He not said here			vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer
5	prove	might	the physician	after all	loyal property	vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S_INF»: agent=Agent

Option 4 · ✓ the right answer

He dismissed it, reasoning that the physician who had cured him had no motive to kill

The tree, 16 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	He	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 dismissed	nsubj
2	dismissed	dismiss	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	2 dismissed	obj
4	,	,	PUNCT	_	5 reasoning	punct
5	reasoning	reason	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	2 dismissed	advcl
6	that	that	SCONJ	_	13 had	mark
7	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	8 physician	det
8	physician	physician	NOUN	Number=Sing	13 had	nsubj
9	who	who	PRON	PronType=Rel	11 cured	nsubj:pass
10	had	have	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	11 cured	aux
11	cured	cure	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	8 physician	acl:relcl
12	him	he	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	11 cured	obj
13	had	have	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	5 reasoning	ccomp
14	no	no	DET	PronType=Neg	15 motive	det
15	motive	motive	NOUN	Number=Sing	13 had	obj
16	to	to	PART	_	17 kill	mark
17	kill	kill	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	15 motive	acl

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	roles by
1	dismiss	past	He	it	vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme
2	reason	gerund	He not said here		vn deduce-97.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme
3	cure	past · perfect · passive		the physician	tree rules
4	have	past	the physician	no motive	vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent motive=Patient
5	kill	to-infinitive	the physician not said here	no motive not said here	vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer

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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