Exam question 1 · Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part 71: Rudy captures t…

Which action did Rudy perform in order to secure the young eaglet before descending the cliff?

Mova's choice: option 2 · The right answer: option 4 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: action · What happens: perform, secure, descend · To what, where: order, young eaglet, cliff

This is exam question 1 of lesson 860 «Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part 71: Rudy captures the eaglet and brings it to the mill, while the Ice Maiden mocks the railway» 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	DET	PronType=Int	2 action	det
2	action	action	NOUN	Number=Sing	5 perform	nsubj
3	did	do	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	5 perform	aux
4	Rudy	Rudy	PROPN	Number=Sing	5 perform	nsubj
5	perform	perform	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	root	root
6	in	in	ADP	_	7 order	case
7	order	order	NOUN	Number=Sing	5 perform	obl
8	to	to	PART	_	9 secure	mark
9	secure	secure	VERB	VerbForm=Inf	5 perform	advcl
10	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	12 eaglet	det
11	young	young	ADJ	Degree=Pos	12 eaglet	amod
12	eaglet	eaglet	NOUN	Number=Sing	9 secure	obj
13	before	before	SCONJ	_	14 descending	mark
14	descending	descend	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	9 secure	advcl
15	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	16 cliff	det
16	cliff	cliff	NOUN	Number=Sing	14 descending	obj
17	?	?	PUNCT	_	5 perform	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	roles by
1	perform	past · do-support	which action		order	vn performance-26.7 «NP V»: agent=Agent
2	secure	to-infinitive	which action not said here	the young eaglet		vn ensure-99 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition eaglet=Theme
3	descend	gerund	which action not said here	the cliff		vn meander-47.7-1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location cliff=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

He wrapped a cord around its wings and carried it down.

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 wrapped	nsubj
2	wrapped	wrap	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	4 cord	det
4	cord	cord	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 wrapped	obj
5	around	around	ADP	_	7 wings	case
6	its	its	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	7 wings	nmod:poss
7	wings	wing	NOUN	Number=Plur	2 wrapped	obl
8	and	and	CCONJ	_	9 carried	cc
9	carried	carry	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 wrapped	conj
10	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	9 carried	obj
11	down	down	ADP	_	9 carried	compound:prt
12	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 wrapped	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	wrap	past	He	a cord		cord's wings			vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent cord=Theme around wing=Destination
2	carry down	past	He not said here	cord					vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme

Option 2 · ← Mova's choice

Having climbed up in the early morning, he threw a noose round the young bird, tightened it carefully upon its legs, and then slowly began descending.

The tree, 26 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Having	have	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	10 threw	advcl
2	climbed	climb	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	1 Having	xcomp
3	up	up	ADP	_	2 climbed	compound:prt
4	in	in	ADP	_	7 morning	case
5	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	7 morning	det
6	early	early	ADJ	Degree=Pos	7 morning	amod
7	morning	morning	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 climbed	obl
8	,	,	PUNCT	_	1 Having	punct
9	he	he	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	10 threw	nsubj
10	threw	throw	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
11	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	12 noose	det
12	noose	noose	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 threw	obj
13	round	round	ADP	_	16 bird	case
14	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	16 bird	det
15	young	young	ADJ	Degree=Pos	16 bird	amod
16	bird	bird	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 threw	obl
17	,	,	PUNCT	_	18 tightened	punct
18	tightened	tighten	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	16 bird	acl
19	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	18 tightened	obj
20	carefully	carefully	ADV	_	18 tightened	advmod
21	upon	upon	ADP	_	23 legs	case
22	its	its	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	23 legs	nmod:poss
23	legs	leg	NOUN	Number=Plur	18 tightened	obl
24	,	,	PUNCT	_	28 began	punct
25	and	and	CCONJ	_	28 began	cc
26	then	then	ADV	PronType=Dem	28 began	advmod
27	slowly	slowly	ADV	_	28 began	advmod
28	began	begin	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	10 threw	conj
29	descending	descend	VERB	VerbForm=Ger	28 began	xcomp
30	.	.	PUNCT	_	10 threw	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	when	other	roles by
1	have	gerund	he not said here				tree rules
2	climb up	participle	he not said here		morning		vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme
3	throw	past	he	a noose		round the young bird	vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent noose=Theme
4	tighten	participle	the young bird not said here	noose		upon noose's legs; carefully property	vn other_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent it=Patient
5	begin	past	he not said here		then	slowly property	vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V S_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality
6	descend	gerund	he not said here				vn meander-47.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme

Option 3

He lowered himself by a rope, threw a noose round the young bird and pulled it tight upon its legs before climbing down the cliff face.

The tree, 26 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 lowered	nsubj
2	lowered	lower	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	himself	himself	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs Reflex=Yes	2 lowered	obj
4	by	by	ADP	_	6 rope	case
5	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	6 rope	det
6	rope	rope	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 lowered	obl
7	,	,	PUNCT	_	8 threw	punct
8	threw	throw	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 lowered	parataxis
9	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	10 noose	det
10	noose	noose	NOUN	Number=Sing	8 threw	obj
11	round	round	ADP	_	14 bird	case
12	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	14 bird	det
13	young	young	ADJ	Degree=Pos	14 bird	amod
14	bird	bird	NOUN	Number=Sing	8 threw	obl
15	and	and	CCONJ	_	16 pulled	cc
16	pulled	pull	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=1 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	8 threw	conj
17	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	16 pulled	obj
18	tight	tight	ADV	_	16 pulled	advmod
19	upon	upon	ADP	_	21 legs	case
20	its	its	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	21 legs	nmod:poss
21	legs	leg	NOUN	Number=Plur	16 pulled	obl
22	before	before	SCONJ	_	23 climbing	mark
23	climbing	climb	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	16 pulled	advcl
24	down	down	ADP	_	27 face	case
25	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	27 face	det
26	cliff	cliff	NOUN	Number=Sing	27 face	compound
27	face	face	NOUN	Number=Sing	23 climbing	obl
28	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 lowered	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	lower	past	He	himself = he		by a rope	vn put_direction-9.4 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent himself=Theme by rope=Destination
2	throw	past		a noose		round the young bird	vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent noose=Theme
3	pull	past		noose		upon noose's legs; tight property	vn push-12-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme
4	climb	gerund			the cliff face		vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme down face=Trajectory

Option 4 · ✓ the right answer

He threw a noose round the bird and tightened it upon its legs.

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 threw	nsubj
2	threw	throw	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	4 noose	det
4	noose	noose	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 threw	obj
5	round	round	ADP	_	7 bird	case
6	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	7 bird	det
7	bird	bird	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 threw	obl
8	and	and	CCONJ	_	9 tightened	cc
9	tightened	tighten	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	2 threw	conj
10	it	it	PRON	Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	9 tightened	obj
11	upon	upon	ADP	_	13 legs	case
12	its	its	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	13 legs	nmod:poss
13	legs	leg	NOUN	Number=Plur	9 tightened	obl
14	.	.	PUNCT	_	2 threw	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	throw	past	He	a noose				round the bird	vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent noose=Theme
2	tighten	participle	He not said here	noose				upon noose's legs	vn other_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent it=Patient

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/860-pg27200-part71/e1/