---
title: By what means did the stepmother attempt to procure the girl's remov… — Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did the stepmother attempt to procure the girl's removal from the household? Exam question 2 of lesson 1361 «Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part 21: a dying mother gives her daughter a mirror, and a stepmother accuses the girl» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the 
---

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# Exam question 2 · Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part 21: a dying mother…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did the stepmother attempt to procure the girl's removal from the household?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** girl · **What happens:** mean, do, procure, remove · **To what, where:** stepmother attempt, removal, household · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1361 «Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part 21: a dying mother gives her daughter a mirror, and a stepmother accuses the girl» 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/1361-pg4018-part21/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1361-pg4018-part21:e2:1
# text = By what means did the stepmother attempt to procure the girl's removal from the household?
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	stepmother	stepmother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	attempt	attempt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	procure	procure	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	removal	removal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
14	from	from	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	household	household	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** | past |  | the stepmother attempt |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent attempt=Eventuality |
| 3 | **procure** | to-infinitive |  | the girl's removal |  | the household |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent removal=Theme from household=Source |
| 4 | **remove** |  | the girl |  |  |  |  |  | nom removal «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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by alleging that the girl was cursing her, and by threatening to leave the household

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1361-pg4018-part21:e2:o1:1
# text = by alleging that the girl was cursing her, and by threatening to leave the household
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	alleging	allege	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	cursing	curse	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
8	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	threatening	threaten	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	leave	leave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	household	household	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allege** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **curse** | past · progressive | the girl | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Theme |
| 3 | **threaten** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **leave** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | the household |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent household=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by alleging that the girl was cursing her

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1361-pg4018-part21:e2:o2:1
# text = by alleging that the girl was cursing her
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	alleging	allege	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	cursing	curse	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
8	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allege** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **curse** | past · progressive | the girl | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by asking the father to send her off

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1361-pg4018-part21:e2:o3:1
# text = by asking the father to send her off
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	asking	ask	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	father	father	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	send	send	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
7	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	off	off	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | gerund |  |  | the father |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP whether S\_INF»: agent=Agent father=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **send off** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by alleging that the girl was cursing her and that the mirror was evil

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1361-pg4018-part21:e2:o4:1
# text = by alleging that the girl was cursing her and that the mirror was evil
1	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	alleging	allege	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	cursing	curse	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
8	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
10	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	mirror	mirror	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
13	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
14	evil	evil	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allege** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **curse** | past · progressive | the girl | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | past | the mirror |  |  |  |  | evil *property* | tree rules |

<!-- 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: [Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1361-pg4018-part21/e1/)
- next →: [Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1361-pg4018-part21/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Japanese Fairy Tales, The Mirror, part 21: a dying mother gives her daughter a mirror, and a stepmother accuses the girl](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1361-pg4018-part21/)