Exam question 4 · Andersen's Tales, The Bottle Neck: a bottle finds a new ow…
Explain the reason the inhabitants were unable to ascertain the contents of the written communication found within the bottle.
Mova's choice: option 2 · The right answer: option 2 · right ✓ · Who acts: you, inhabitants · What happens: explain, be, ascertain, write, find · To what, where: reason, contents, written communication
This is exam question 4 of lesson 805 «Andersen's Tales, The Bottle Neck: a bottle finds a new owner, a sailor's farewell, and a foreign shore» 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 | Explain | explain | VERB | Mood=Imp VerbForm=Fin | root | root |
| 2 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 3 reason | det |
| 3 | reason | reason | NOUN | Number=Sing | 1 Explain | obj |
| 4 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 5 inhabitants | det |
| 5 | inhabitants | inhabitant | NOUN | Number=Plur | 7 unable | nsubj |
| 6 | were | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 7 unable | cop |
| 7 | unable | unable | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 3 reason | acl:relcl |
| 8 | to | to | PART | _ | 9 ascertain | mark |
| 9 | ascertain | ascertain | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | 7 unable | xcomp |
| 10 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 11 contents | det |
| 11 | contents | contents | NOUN | Number=Ptan | 9 ascertain | obj |
| 12 | of | of | ADP | _ | 15 communication | case |
| 13 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 15 communication | det |
| 14 | written | write | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 15 communication | amod |
| 15 | communication | communication | NOUN | Number=Sing | 11 contents | nmod |
| 16 | found | find | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 15 communication | acl |
| 17 | within | within | ADP | _ | 19 bottle | case |
| 18 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 19 bottle | det |
| 19 | bottle | bottle | NOUN | Number=Sing | 16 found | obl |
| 20 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 1 Explain | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | explain speech: assert | imperative | you not said here | the reason | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic | ||||
| 2 | is | past | the inhabitants | the reason not said here | unable property | tree rules | |||
| 3 | ascertain | to-infinitive | the inhabitants not said here | the contents of the written communication | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent contents=Topic | ||||
| 4 | write | participle | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | ||||||
| 5 | find | participle | the written communication not said here | within the bottle | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S_INF»: agent=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
The letter was written in a code that nobody had learned.
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 2 letter | det |
| 2 | letter | letter | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 written | nsubj:pass |
| 3 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 4 written | aux:pass |
| 4 | written | write | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | root | root |
| 5 | in | in | ADP | _ | 7 code | case |
| 6 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 7 code | det |
| 7 | code | code | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 written | obl |
| 8 | that | that | PRON | PronType=Rel | 11 learned | obj |
| 9 | nobody | nobody | PRON | Number=Sing PronType=Neg | 11 learned | nsubj |
| 10 | had | have | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 11 learned | aux |
| 11 | learned | learn | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part | 7 code | acl:relcl |
| 12 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 4 written | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | write | past · passive | the letter | a code | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in code=Destination | ||||
| 2 | learn | past · perfect | nobody | a code | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent that=Topic |
Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer
They could not understand the language in which it was composed.
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 | 4 understand | nsubj |
| 2 | could | could | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 4 understand | aux |
| 3 | not | not | PART | Polarity=Neg | 4 understand | advmod |
| 4 | understand | understand | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | root | root |
| 5 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 6 language | det |
| 6 | language | language | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 understand | obj |
| 7 | in | in | ADP | _ | 8 which | case |
| 8 | which | which | PRON | PronType=Rel | 11 composed | obl |
| 9 | it | it | PRON | Case=Nom Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 11 composed | nsubj:pass |
| 10 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 11 composed | aux:pass |
| 11 | composed | compose | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 6 language | acl:relcl |
| 12 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 4 understand | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | not understand | could | They | the language | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer language=Stimulus | ||||
| 2 | compose | past · passive | language | the language | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Result |
Option 3
They could not understand the language in which the letter was composed, since the ink was faded and the paper torn by the sea.
The tree, 24 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 | 4 understand | nsubj |
| 2 | could | could | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 4 understand | aux |
| 3 | not | not | PART | Polarity=Neg | 4 understand | advmod |
| 4 | understand | understand | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | root | root |
| 5 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 6 language | det |
| 6 | language | language | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 understand | obj |
| 7 | in | in | ADP | _ | 8 which | case |
| 8 | which | which | PRON | PronType=Rel | 12 composed | obl |
| 9 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 10 letter | det |
| 10 | letter | letter | NOUN | Number=Sing | 12 composed | nsubj:pass |
| 11 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 12 composed | aux:pass |
| 12 | composed | compose | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 6 language | acl:relcl |
| 13 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 18 faded | punct |
| 14 | since | since | SCONJ | _ | 18 faded | mark |
| 15 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 16 ink | det |
| 16 | ink | ink | NOUN | Number=Sing | 18 faded | nsubj |
| 17 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 18 faded | aux:pass |
| 18 | faded | fade | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 4 understand | parataxis |
| 19 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 21 paper | cc |
| 20 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 21 paper | det |
| 21 | paper | paper | NOUN | Number=Sing | 18 faded | conj |
| 22 | torn | tear | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 21 paper | acl |
| 23 | by | by | ADP | _ | 25 sea | case |
| 24 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 25 sea | det |
| 25 | sea | sea | NOUN | Number=Sing | 22 torn | obl |
| 26 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 4 understand | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | not understand | could | They | the language | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer language=Stimulus | ||||
| 2 | compose | past · passive | the letter | the language | vn create-26.4-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Result | ||||
| 3 | fade | past · passive | the ink | vn other_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: subject=Patient | |||||
| 4 | tear | participle | the paper not said here | by the sea | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme by sea=Trajectory |
Option 4
Nobody there could read the language in which the letter had been written, and the water had ruined the paper completely.
The tree, 21 words
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nobody | nobody | PRON | Number=Sing PronType=Neg | 4 read | nsubj |
| 2 | there | there | ADV | PronType=Dem | 1 Nobody | advmod |
| 3 | could | could | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 4 read | aux |
| 4 | read | read | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | root | root |
| 5 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 6 language | det |
| 6 | language | language | NOUN | Number=Sing | 4 read | obj |
| 7 | in | in | ADP | _ | 8 which | case |
| 8 | which | which | PRON | PronType=Rel | 13 written | obl |
| 9 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 10 letter | det |
| 10 | letter | letter | NOUN | Number=Sing | 13 written | nsubj:pass |
| 11 | had | have | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 13 written | aux |
| 12 | been | be | AUX | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part | 13 written | aux:pass |
| 13 | written | write | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 6 language | acl:relcl |
| 14 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 19 ruined | punct |
| 15 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 19 ruined | cc |
| 16 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 17 water | det |
| 17 | water | water | NOUN | Number=Sing | 19 ruined | nsubj:pass |
| 18 | had | have | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 19 ruined | aux |
| 19 | ruined | ruin | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 4 read | conj |
| 20 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 21 paper | det |
| 21 | paper | paper | NOUN | Number=Sing | 19 ruined | obj |
| 22 | completely | completely | ADV | _ | 19 ruined | advmod |
| 23 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 4 read | punct |
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | read | could | Nobody | the language | vn transfer_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent language=Topic | ||||
| 2 | write | past · perfect · passive | the letter | the language | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in which=Destination | ||||
| 3 | ruin | past · perfect · passive | the water | completely property | tree rules |
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/805-pg27200-part16/e4/