---
title: By what means did the lad regain his human shape beneath the sea? — Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did the lad regain his human shape beneath the sea? Exam question 2 of lesson 1655 «Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad and the Troll, part 44: the lad serves the troll as hare, raven and fish, and meets the troll's daughter» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dep
---

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# Exam question 2 · Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad and the Troll, part…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did the lad regain his human shape beneath the sea?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** lad · **What happens:** mean, regain · **To what, where:** human shape

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1655 «Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad and the Troll, part 44: the lad serves the troll as hare, raven and fish, and meets the troll's daughter» 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/1655-pg5615-part44/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1655-pg5615-part44:e2:1
# text = By what means did the lad regain his human shape beneath the sea?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	obl	_	_
3	means	mean	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	7	aux	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lad	lad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	regain	regain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
9	human	human	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	shape	shape	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	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 |
| 2 | **regain** | past · do-support | the lad | lad's human shape |  |  |  | beneath the sea | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shape=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By calling for help from the king

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1655-pg5615-part44:e2:o1:1
# text = By calling for help from the king
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	calling	call	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	help	help	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | for help; from the king | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.source NP.asset»: agent=Agent for help=Asset from king=Source |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By recalling and speaking the troll's words aloud while floating up to the surface of the sea

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1655-pg5615-part44:e2:o2:1
# text = By recalling and speaking the troll's words aloud while floating up to the surface of the sea
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	recalling	recall	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	speaking	speak	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	troll	troll	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
9	aloud	aloud	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
10	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
11	floating	float	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
12	up	up	ADP	RP	_	11	compound:prt	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **recall** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **speak** *speech: other* | gerund |  | the troll's words |  |  |  | aloud *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **float up** | gerund |  |  |  | the surface of the sea |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme to surface=Destination |
| 4 | **word** |  | the troll |  |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By kissing the glass palace floor and reciting every spell the troll had ever taught him

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1655-pg5615-part44:e2:o3:1
# text = By kissing the glass palace floor and reciting every spell the troll had ever taught him
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	kissing	kiss	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	15	advcl	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	palace	palace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	reciting	recite	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
9	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	spell	spell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	troll	troll	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
13	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
14	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	15	advmod	_	_
15	taught	teach	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
16	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **kiss** | gerund |  | the palace floor |  |  |  |  | vn marry-36.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent floor=Co-Agent |
| 2 | **recite** | gerund |  | every spell |  |  |  |  | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V NP.beneficiary NP»: agent=Agent spell=Beneficiary troll=Theme |
| 3 | **teach** *speech: other* | past · perfect |  |  | him *= he* |  | ever |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent he=Recipient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By recalling and speaking the troll's words

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1655-pg5615-part44:e2:o4:1
# text = By recalling and speaking the troll's words
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	recalling	recall	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	speaking	speak	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	troll	troll	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **recall** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **speak** *speech: other* | gerund |  | the troll's words |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **word** |  | the troll |  |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication 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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1655-pg5615-part44/e1/)
- next →: [Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1655-pg5615-part44/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Popular Tales from the Norse, The Lad and the Troll, part 44: the lad serves the troll as hare, raven and fish, and meets the troll's daughter](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1655-pg5615-part44/)