---
title: In the context of the narrative, what is the principal reason the pa… — Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 1… · tree and pragmatics
description: In the context of the narrative, what is the principal reason the parents gave for abandoning the children a second time? Exam question 2 of lesson 1088 «Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 13: lost again, birds eat the bread, a storm in the night» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with
---

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# Exam question 2 · Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 13: lost again, birds…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In the context of the narrative, what is the principal reason the parents gave for abandoning the children a second time?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** narrative, parents · **What happens:** be, give, abandon · **To what, where:** principal reason, context, children

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1088 «Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 13: lost again, birds eat the bread, a storm in the night» 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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/books/1088-pg29021-part13/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1088-pg29021-part13:e2:1
# text = In the context of the narrative, what is the principal reason the parents gave for abandoning the children a second time?
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	context	context	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	narrative	narrative	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	12	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	acl:relcl	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
16	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
17	abandoning	abandon	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	15	advcl	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	obj	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	22	amod	_	_
22	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the narrative | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **give** | past | the parents |  |  | the context of the narrative |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **abandon** | gerund | the parents *not said here* | the children |  |  | time |  | vn leave-51.2 «NP V NP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme child=Source |

<!-- .note -->
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 {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Their extreme poverty and inability to feed them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1088-pg29021-part13:e2:o1:1
# text = Their extreme poverty and inability to feed them
1	Their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	extreme	extreme	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	poverty	poverty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	inability	inability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	feed	feed	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	acl	_	_
8	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **feed** | to-infinitive |  | poverty |  |  |  |  | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Their wish to protect themselves from the children's constant begging and crying for bread at night

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1088-pg29021-part13:e2:o2:1
# text = Their wish to protect themselves from the children's constant begging and crying for bread at night
1	Their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	wish	wish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	protect	protect	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	4	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	constant	constant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	begging	begging	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	crying	cry	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	11	conj	_	_
14	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	bread	bread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **protect** | to-infinitive | Their wish | themselves *= they* |  |  | night | from the children's constant begging | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent themselves=Beneficiary from begging=Theme |
| 2 | **cry** *speech: express* | gerund | Their wish *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for bread | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient S\_INF»: agent=Agent for bread=Recipient |
| 3 | **wish** |  | Their *= they* |  |  |  |  |  | nom wish «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Their extreme poverty, which had left them unable to feed the children any longer

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1088-pg29021-part13:e2:o3:1
# text = Their extreme poverty, which had left them unable to feed the children any longer
1	Their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	extreme	extreme	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	poverty	poverty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	_
8	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	unable	unable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	feed	feed	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
14	any	any	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	11	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **leave** | past · perfect · passive |  | Their extreme poverty |  |  |  | unable *property* | vn sustain-55.6-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Theme they=Attribute |
| 2 | **feed** | to-infinitive | Their extreme poverty *not said here* |  | the children |  |  | long *property* | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent child=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Their extreme poverty and lack of food

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1088-pg29021-part13:e2:o4:1
# text = Their extreme poverty and lack of food
1	Their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	extreme	extreme	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	poverty	poverty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	lack	lack	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lack** |  |  | food |  |  |  |  | nom lack «state transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- div src -->

**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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 1…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1088-pg29021-part13/e1/)
- next →: [Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 1…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1088-pg29021-part13/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Perrault's Tales, Little Thumb, part 13: lost again, birds eat the bread, a storm in the night](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1088-pg29021-part13/)