---
title: Upon what grounds did the Shifty Lad express his conviction concerni… — Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shifty Lad: th… · tree and pragmatics
description: Upon what grounds did the Shifty Lad express his conviction concerning the bridge of Dublin? Exam question 3 of lesson 1279 «Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shifty Lad: the Shifty Lad wins the princess, then dies on the bridge of Dublin» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree
---

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# Exam question 3 · Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shifty Lad: the Shifty Lad wins th…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Upon what grounds did the Shifty Lad express his conviction concerning the bridge of Dublin?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Shifty Lad, conviction, Lad · **What happens:** ground, express, concern, convict · **To what, where:** conviction, bridge

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 1279 «Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shifty Lad: the Shifty Lad wins the princess, then dies on the bridge of Dublin» 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/1279-pg3454-part4/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1279-pg3454-part4:e3:1
# text = Upon what grounds did the Shifty Lad express his conviction concerning the bridge of Dublin?
1	Upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	8	obl	_	_
3	grounds	ground	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
4	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	Shifty	shifty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	Lad	Lad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	express	express	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	conviction	conviction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	Dublin	Dublin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ground** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn pocket-9.10-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **express** | past · do-support | the Shifty Lad | Lad's conviction |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent conviction=Theme |
| 3 | **concern** | gerund | Lad's conviction *not said here* | the bridge of Dublin |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus bridge=Experiencer |
| 4 | **convict** |  | Lad |  |  |  |  |  | nom conviction «cognition 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had heard a rumour from the town crier

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1279-pg3454-part4:e3:o1:1
# text = He had heard a rumour from the town crier
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	heard	hear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rumour	rumour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	crier	crier	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hear** | past · perfect | He | a rumour |  | the town crier |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent rumour=Topic from crier=Source |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Long ago, his mother had said clearly that he would be hanged from the stone bridge over the river

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1279-pg3454-part4:e3:o2:1
# text = Long ago, his mother had said clearly that he would be hanged from the stone bridge over the river
1	Long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	2	advmod	_	_
2	ago	ago	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	said	say	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
8	clearly	clearly	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
9	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
12	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	aux:pass	_	_
13	hanged	hange	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	advcl	_	_
14	from	from	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
18	over	over	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past · perfect | his mother |  |  |  |  | ago, clearly *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **hange** | would · passive |  | he |  | the stone bridge |  | over the river | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His mother had prophesied his death upon it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1279-pg3454-part4:e3:o3:1
# text = His mother had prophesied his death upon it
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	prophesied	prophesy	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prophesy** | past · perfect · passive |  | His mother |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP to be NP»: subject=Theme death=Eventuality |
| 2 | **die** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  | upon death | nom death «event intransitive»: poss=agent upon=obl |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His mother had once prophesied, long before, that he would hang from the bridge of Dublin

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1279-pg3454-part4:e3:o4:1
# text = His mother had once prophesied, long before, that he would hang from the bridge of Dublin
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	5	advmod	_	_
5	prophesied	prophesy	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	8	advmod	_	_
8	before	before	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
11	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	hang	hang	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	parataxis	_	_
14	from	from	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	Dublin	Dublin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prophesy** | past · perfect · passive |  | His mother |  |  |  | before, once *property* | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **hang** | would | he |  |  | the bridge of Dublin |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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