---
title: Which statement correctly describes the condition of the brothers wh… — Norse Tales, Esben and the Witch, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which statement correctly describes the condition of the brothers when Esben approached them on the final day? Exam question 4 of lesson 1657 «Norse Tales, Esben and the Witch, part 46: Esben steals the dove, then the king asks for a golden-bristled boar» of the books course of Mova's primary school
---

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# Exam question 4 · Norse Tales, Esben and the Witch, part 46: Esben steals th…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which statement correctly describes the condition of the brothers when Esben approached them on the final day?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** statement, Esben · **What happens:** describe, approach, condition · **To what, where:** condition, brothers

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 1657 «Norse Tales, Esben and the Witch, part 46: Esben steals the dove, then the king asks for a golden-bristled boar» 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/1657-pg5615-part46/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1657-pg5615-part46:e4:1
# text = Which statement correctly describes the condition of the brothers when Esben approached them on the final day?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	statement	statement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	correctly	correctly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	condition	condition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	brothers	brother	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
10	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
11	Esben	Esben	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	approached	approach	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
13	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
14	on	on	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	final	final	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | present | which statement | the condition of the brothers |  |  |  | correctly *property* | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent condition=Theme |
| 2 | **approach** | past | Esben | brothers *= brother* |  |  | day |  | vn confront-98 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |
| 3 | **condition** |  |  | the brothers |  |  |  |  | nom condition «state transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 were calm, packing their bags for home and smiling

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1657-pg5615-part46:e4:o1:1
# text = They were calm, packing their bags for home and smiling
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	calm	calm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	packing	pack	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	advcl	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	bags	bag	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	home	home	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	smiling	smile	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | They |  |  |  |  | calm *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **pack** | gerund | They *not said here* | their bags |  |  |  | for home | vn spray-9.7-1-1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent bag=Theme |
| 3 | **smile** | gerund | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were downcast, lamenting their fate and hanging their heads

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1657-pg5615-part46:e4:o2:1
# text = They were downcast, lamenting their fate and hanging their heads
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	downcast	downcast	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	lamenting	lament	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	fate	fate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	hanging	hang	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
10	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	heads	head	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | They |  |  |  |  | downcast *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **lament** | gerund | They *not said here* | their fate |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer fate=Stimulus |
| 3 | **hang** | gerund | They *not said here* | their heads |  |  |  |  | vn poison-42.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent head=Patient |
| 4 | **fate** |  | their *= they* |  |  |  |  |  | nom fate «event transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were downcast, lamenting their fate and hanging their heads in the cold stable yard at dusk

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1657-pg5615-part46:e4:o3:1
# text = They were downcast, lamenting their fate and hanging their heads in the cold stable yard at dusk
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	downcast	downcast	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	lamenting	lament	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	fate	fate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	hanging	hang	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
10	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	heads	head	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
14	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
15	stable	stable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	yard	yard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
17	at	at	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	dusk	dusk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | They |  |  |  |  | downcast *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **lament** | gerund | They *not said here* | their fate |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer fate=Stimulus |
| 3 | **hang** | gerund | They *not said here* | their heads |  |  | dusk | in the cold stable yard | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent head=Theme in yard=Destination |
| 4 | **fate** |  | their *= they* |  |  |  |  |  | nom fate «event transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were downcast, lamenting their fate and hanging their heads low in the stable yard

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1657-pg5615-part46:e4:o4:1
# text = They were downcast, lamenting their fate and hanging their heads low in the stable yard
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	downcast	downcast	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	lamenting	lament	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	fate	fate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	hanging	hang	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	conj	_	_
10	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	heads	head	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	_
12	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	xcomp	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	stable	stable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	yard	yard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | They |  |  |  |  | downcast *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **lament** | gerund | They *not said here* | their fate |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer fate=Stimulus |
| 3 | **hang** | gerund | They *not said here* | their heads |  |  |  | in the stable yard; low *property* | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent head=Theme in yard=Destination |
| 4 | **fate** |  | their *= they* |  |  |  |  |  | nom fate «event 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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