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title: What was the initial cause of the young man's arrest, as described i… — Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahom… · tree and pragmatics
description: What was the initial cause of the young man's arrest, as described in the narrative? Exam question 3 of lesson 1254 «Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahomed, part 55: the old woman's foundling becomes a soldier, and a dog dies after a meal» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dep
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# Exam question 3 · Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahomed, part 55: the old…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What was the initial cause of the young man's arrest, as described in the narrative?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** young man · **What happens:** be, describe, arrest · **To what, where:** initial cause, narrative

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 1254 «Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahomed, part 55: the old woman's foundling becomes a soldier, and a dog dies after a meal» 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/1254-pg3282-part55/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1254-pg3282-part55:e3:1
# text = What was the initial cause of the young man's arrest, as described in the narrative?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	initial	initial	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	cause	cause	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	arrest	arrest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
13	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
14	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	narrative	narrative	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the initial cause |  |  |  | of the young man's arrest | tree rules |
| 2 | **describe** | participle |  | the initial cause *not said here* |  | the narrative |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **arrest** |  | the young man |  |  |  |  |  | nom arrest «act transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He struck the pedlar when the donkey ate his cabbages

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1254-pg3282-part55:e3:o1:1
# text = He struck the pedlar when the donkey ate his cabbages
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	struck	strike	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	cabbages	cabbage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strike** | past | He | the pedlar |  |  |  |  | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent pedlar=Patient |
| 2 | **eat** | past | the donkey | donkey's cabbages |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cabbage=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He attacked the pedlar's servant after the donkey ran into his field

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1254-pg3282-part55:e3:o2:1
# text = He attacked the pedlar's servant after the donkey ran into his field
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	attacked	attack	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	servant	servant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	ran	run	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
11	into	into	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	field	field	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **attack** | past | He | the pedlar's servant |  |  |  |  | vn attack-60.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent servant=Patient |
| 2 | **run** | past | the donkey |  |  |  |  | into donkey's field *result* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme into field=Result |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He threatened to cut off the pedlar's donkey's tail after it ate his cabbages

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1254-pg3282-part55:e3:o3:1
# text = He threatened to cut off the pedlar's donkey's tail after it ate his cabbages
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	threatened	threaten	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	cut	cut	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	off	off	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
12	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
15	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	cabbages	cabbage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **threaten** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **cut off** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | the pedlar's donkey's tail |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Affector tail=Eventuality |
| 3 | **eat** | past | tail | donkey's cabbages |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cabbage=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He stole the pedlar's goods after the donkey wandered into his field

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1254-pg3282-part55:e3:o4:1
# text = He stole the pedlar's goods after the donkey wandered into his field
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	stole	steal	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	goods	goods	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	2	obj	_	_
7	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	donkey	donkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	wandered	wander	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
11	into	into	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	field	field	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **steal** | past | He | the pedlar's goods |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location goods=Theme |
| 2 | **wander** | past | the donkey |  |  | donkey's field |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme into field=Destination |

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**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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- ← previous: [Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahom…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1254-pg3282-part55/e2/)
- next →: [Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahom…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1254-pg3282-part55/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Eastern Stories and Legends, Nur Mahomed, part 55: the old woman's foundling becomes a soldier, and a dog dies after a meal](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1254-pg3282-part55/)