---
title: By what means did the princess obtain the purse from Ciccu? — Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Stor… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did the princess obtain the purse from Ciccu? Exam question 3 of lesson 1672 «Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Story of Ciccu, part 61: the princess begs Ciccu's purse for a copy» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and
---

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# Exam question 3 · Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Story of Ciccu, part 61:…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did the princess obtain the purse from Ciccu?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** mean, do, obtain · **To what, where:** princess, purse, Ciccu · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 1672 «Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Story of Ciccu, part 61: the princess begs Ciccu's purse for a copy» 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/1672-pg5615-part61/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1672-pg5615-part61:e3:1
# text = By what means did the princess obtain the purse from Ciccu?
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	7	advcl	_	_
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	6	det	_	_
6	princess	princess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	obtain	obtain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	purse	purse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Ciccu	Ciccu	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	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 clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** | past |  | the princess |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent princess=Eventuality |
| 3 | **obtain** | present |  | the purse |  | Ciccu |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent purse=Theme from ciccu=Source |

<!-- .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 -->
She persuaded him by flattery and cunning questions while he sat at dinner

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1672-pg5615-part61:e3:o1:1
# text = She persuaded him by flattery and cunning questions while he sat at dinner
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	flattery	flattery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	cunning	cunning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
9	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	sat	sit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
12	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **persuade** | past | She | him *= he* |  |  |  | by flattery and cunning questions | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |
| 2 | **sit** | past | he |  |  | dinner |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent at dinner=Location |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She persuaded him by flattery and cunning questions

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1672-pg5615-part61:e3:o2:1
# text = She persuaded him by flattery and cunning questions
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	flattery	flattery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	cunning	cunning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **persuade** | past | She | him *= he* |  |  |  | by flattery and cunning questions | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She persuaded him by flattery and cunning questions, and then by threats to his brothers

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1672-pg5615-part61:e3:o3:1
# text = She persuaded him by flattery and cunning questions, and then by threats to his brothers
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|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	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	flattery	flattery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	cunning	cunning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	13	advmod	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	threats	threat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	brothers	brother	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **persuade** | past | She | him *= he* |  |  |  | by flattery and cunning questions; by threats to his brothers | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She bribed him with gold and jewels

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1672-pg5615-part61:e3:o4:1
# text = She bribed him with gold and jewels
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	bribed	bribe	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	jewels	jewel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bribe** | past | She | him *= he* |  |  |  | with gold and jewels | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |

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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: [Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Stor…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1672-pg5615-part61/e2/)
- next →: [Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Stor…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1672-pg5615-part61/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Wonder Tales from Many Lands, The Story of Ciccu, part 61: the princess begs Ciccu's purse for a copy](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1672-pg5615-part61/)