---
title: Which of the following describes the action by which the youngest si… — Violet Fairy Book, The Fish of the Fou… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following describes the action by which the youngest sister's sisters came to kill the fish? Exam question 1 of lesson 1312 «Violet Fairy Book, The Fish of the Fountain: a girl feeds a fish, he is eaten, and his bones grow into a magic tree» of the books course of Mova's primary school,
---

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# Exam question 1 · Violet Fairy Book, The Fish of the Fountain: a girl feeds…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following describes the action by which the youngest sister's sisters came to kill the fish?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** sisters · **What happens:** follow, describe, come, kill · **To what, where:** action, fish

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 1312 «Violet Fairy Book, The Fish of the Fountain: a girl feeds a fish, he is eaten, and his bones grow into a magic tree» 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/1312-pg3454-part37/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1312-pg3454-part37:e1:1
# text = Which of the following describes the action by which the youngest sister's sisters came to kill the fish?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	nsubj	_	_
5	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	obl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	youngest	young	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	12	amod	_	_
12	sister	sister	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	sisters	sister	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	kill	kill	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	xcomp	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **describe** | present |  | the action |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent action=Theme |
| 3 | **come** | past | the youngest sister's sisters |  |  |  |  | by the action | tree rules |
| 4 | **kill** | to-infinitive | the youngest sister's sisters *not said here* | the fish |  |  |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fish=Theme |

<!-- .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 -->
They hid and then caught him at dawn.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1312-pg3454-part37:e1:o1:1
# text = They hid and then caught him at dawn.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	hid	hide	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
4	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	5	advmod	_	_
5	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
6	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	dawn	dawn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hide** | past | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **catch** | past | They *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  | then; dawn |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They watched her secretly from the kitchen door, then caught him and boiled him for supper.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1312-pg3454-part37:e1:o2:1
# text = They watched her secretly from the kitchen door, then caught him and boiled him for supper.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	watched	watch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	kitchen	kitchen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	11	advmod	_	_
11	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
12	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	boiled	boil	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	conj	_	_
15	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	obj	_	_
16	for	for	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	supper	supper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **watch** | past | They | her *= she* |  | the kitchen door |  | secretly *property* | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Theme |
| 2 | **catch** | past |  | him *= he* |  |  | then |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 3 | **boil** | past |  | him *= he* |  |  |  | for supper | vn preparing-26.3-2 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent he=Patient for supper=Beneficiary |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They watched her secretly, then caught and boiled him.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1312-pg3454-part37:e1:o3:1
# text = They watched her secretly, then caught and boiled him.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	watched	watch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	7	advmod	_	_
7	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	boiled	boil	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
10	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **watch** | past | They | her *= she* |  |  |  | secretly *property* | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Theme |
| 2 | **catch** | past |  |  |  |  | then |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **boil** | past |  | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent he=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They followed her in secret for days, then caught him in the fountain and boiled him.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1312-pg3454-part37:e1:o4:1
# text = They followed her in secret for days, then caught him in the fountain and boiled him.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	followed	follow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	secret	secret	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	days	day	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	10	advmod	_	_
10	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
11	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	fountain	fountain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	boiled	boil	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
17	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | past | They | her *= she* |  | secret | day |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent she=Theme in secret=Trajectory |
| 2 | **catch** | past |  | him *= he* |  | the fountain | then |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 3 | **boil** | past |  | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent he=Patient |

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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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