---
title: What was the principal object of Scheherazade's narration to the Sul… — Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the G… · tree and pragmatics
description: What was the principal object of Scheherazade's narration to the Sultan on the morning following her marriage? Exam question 3 of lesson 162 «Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the Genius, part 2: Scheherazade wins more days by telling a tale of a merchant facing a fierce genie» of the books course of
---

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# Exam question 3 · Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the Genius, part 2: Scheh…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What was the principal object of Scheherazade's narration to the Sultan on the morning following her marriage?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** morning, Scheherazade · **What happens:** be, follow, narrate, marry · **To what, where:** principal object, marriage

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 162 «Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the Genius, part 2: Scheherazade wins more days by telling a tale of a merchant facing a fierce genie» 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/162-pg128-part2/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:162-pg128-part2:e3:1
# text = What was the principal object of Scheherazade's narration to the Sultan on the morning following her marriage?
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	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	object	object	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	Scheherazade	Scheherazade	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	narration	narration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	Sultan	Sultan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	on	on	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	morning	morning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
16	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	15	acl	_	_
17	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
18	marriage	marriage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the principal object |  |  | morning | of Scheherazade's narration to the Sultan | tree rules |
| 2 | **follow** | gerund | the morning *not said here* | Scheherazade's marriage |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent marriage=Theme |
| 3 | **narrate** |  | Scheherazade |  |  |  |  | to the Sultan | nom narration «communication transitive»: poss=agent to=obl |
| 4 | **marry** |  | Scheherazade |  |  |  |  |  | nom marriage «state 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 -->
To convince the Sultan to forgive her father and the vizir for their roles

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:162-pg128-part2:e3:o1:1
# text = To convince the Sultan to forgive her father and the vizir for their roles
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	convince	convince	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Sultan	Sultan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	forgive	forgive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	father	father	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	vizir	vizir	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	roles	role	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **convince** | to-infinitive |  | the Sultan |  |  |  | for father's roles | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent sultan=Patient clause=Result |
| 2 | **forgive** | to-infinitive |  | her father and the vizir |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent father=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To keep the Sultan curious so that he would postpone her execution yet again

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:162-pg128-part2:e3:o2:1
# text = To keep the Sultan curious so that he would postpone her execution yet again
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	keep	keep	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Sultan	Sultan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	curious	curious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
6	so	so	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	10	mark	_	_
7	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	6	fixed	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	postpone	postpone	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
11	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	execution	execution	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	yet	yet	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
14	again	again	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | to-infinitive |  | the Sultan |  |  |  | curious *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sultan=Theme |
| 2 | **postpone** | would | he | her execution |  |  | yet; again |  | vn delay-53.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent execution=Eventuality |
| 3 | **execute** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom execution «act transitive»: poss=agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To defer her execution by continuing her tale

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:162-pg128-part2:e3:o3:1
# text = To defer her execution by continuing her tale
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	defer	defer	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	execution	execution	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	continuing	continue	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **defer** | to-infinitive |  | her execution |  |  |  |  | vn delay-53.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent execution=Source |
| 2 | **continue** | gerund |  | her tale |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent tale=Theme |
| 3 | **execute** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom execution «act transitive»: poss=agent |
| 4 | **tell** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom tale «communication intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To win the Sultan's love with her wit

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:162-pg128-part2:e3:o4:1
# text = To win the Sultan's love with her wit
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	win	win	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Sultan	Sultan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	wit	wit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **win** | to-infinitive |  | the Sultan's love |  |  |  | with her wit | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent love=Eventuality |
| 2 | **love** |  | the Sultan |  |  |  |  |  | nom love «feeling transitive»: poss=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.

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- ← previous: [Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the G…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/162-pg128-part2/e2/)
- next →: [Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the G…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/162-pg128-part2/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Arabian Nights, The Merchant and the Genius, part 2: Scheherazade wins more days by telling a tale of a merchant facing a fierce genie](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/162-pg128-part2/)