---
title: Which phrase best describes the means by which Esben caused the deat… — Lang's Fairy Book, Esben and the Witch… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which phrase best describes the means by which Esben caused the death of the witch's daughter? Exam question 1 of lesson 1659 «Lang's Fairy Book, Esben and the Witch: Esben roasts the witch, saves his brothers and goes home» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and 
---

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# Exam question 1 · Lang's Fairy Book, Esben and the Witch: Esben roasts the w…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which phrase best describes the means by which Esben caused the death of the witch's daughter?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** phrase, Esben, daughter · **What happens:** describe, mean, cause, die · **To what, where:** death · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 1659 «Lang's Fairy Book, Esben and the Witch: Esben roasts the witch, saves his brothers and goes home» 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/1659-pg5615-part48/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1659-pg5615-part48:e1:1
# text = Which phrase best describes the means by which Esben caused the death of the witch's daughter?
1	Which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	phrase	phrase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	best	well	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
4	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	nsubj	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	obl	_	_
9	Esben	Esben	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	caused	cause	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	ccomp	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	witch	witch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	's	PART	POS	_	15	case	_	_
17	daughter	daughter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | present | which phrase *not said here* |  |  |  |  | well *property* | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **mean** | present | which phrase |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **cause** | past | Esben | the death of the witch's daughter |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition death=Patient |
| 4 | **die** |  | the witch's daughter |  |  |  |  |  | nom death «event intransitive»: of=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 -->
He tricked her with a lie

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1659-pg5615-part48:e1:o1:1
# text = He tricked her with a lie
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	tricked	trick	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|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	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **trick** | past | He | her *= she* |  |  |  | with a lie | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He persuaded her to sit down and then shoved her into the fire

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1659-pg5615-part48:e1:o2:1
# text = He persuaded her to sit down and then shoved her into the fire
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	persuaded	persuade	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|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	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	sit	sit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
6	down	down	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	9	advmod	_	_
9	shoved	shove	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
10	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	into	into	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **persuade** | past | He | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent she=Patient clause=Result |
| 2 | **sit down** | to-infinitive | her *= she* *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **shove** | past | He *not said here* | her *= she* |  | the fire | then |  | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent she=Theme into fire=Destination |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He tricked her into sitting on the spade and tossed her into the flames

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1659-pg5615-part48:e1:o3:1
# text = He tricked her into sitting on the spade and tossed her into the flames
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	tricked	trick	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|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	into	into	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	sitting	sit	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	advcl	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	spade	spade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	tossed	toss	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
11	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	into	into	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	flames	flame	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **trick** | past | He | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Patient |
| 2 | **sit** | gerund | He *not said here* |  |  | the spade |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent on spade=Location |
| 3 | **toss** | past | He *not said here* | her *= she* |  | the flames |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent she=Patient into flame=Recipient |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He induced her to seat herself upon the oven spade and propelled her into the oven

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1659-pg5615-part48:e1:o4:1
# text = He induced her to seat herself upon the oven spade and propelled her into the oven
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	induced	induce	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|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	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	seat	seat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	advcl	_	_
6	herself	herself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obl	_	_
7	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	oven	oven	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	spade	spade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	propelled	propel	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
13	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
14	into	into	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	oven	oven	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **induce** | past | He | her *= she* |  |  |  | upon the oven spade; herself *= she* *obl* | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Patient |
| 2 | **propel** | past | He *not said here* | her *= she* |  | the oven |  |  | 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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