---
title: By what means, according to the second bird, did the Witch-maiden pr… — Household Tales, The Youth and the Wit… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means, according to the second bird, did the Witch-maiden preserve her youthful appearance? Exam question 2 of lesson 1680 «Household Tales, The Youth and the Witch-maiden, part 4: the birds lead him to the moonlit spring» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tre
---

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# Exam question 2 · Household Tales, The Youth and the Witch-maiden, part 4: t…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means, according to the second bird, did the Witch-maiden preserve her youthful appearance?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** second bird · **What happens:** mean, accord, do · **To what, where:** maiden preserve

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1680 «Household Tales, The Youth and the Witch-maiden, part 4: the birds lead him to the moonlit spring» 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/1680-pg640-part4/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1680-pg640-part4:e2:1
# text = By what means, according to the second bird, did the Witch-maiden preserve her youthful appearance?
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	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	according	accord	VERB	VBG	ExtPos=ADP|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	case	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	fixed	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	9	amod	_	_
9	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
13	Witch	witch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	maiden	maiden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	preserve	preserve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
17	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	19	nmod:poss	_	_
18	youthful	youthful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	appearance	appearance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  | accord the second bird | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **accord** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **do** | past | the second bird *not said here* | the maiden preserve |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
By bathing her face in the cold spring water at each full moon, as the birds had said.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1680-pg640-part4:e2:o1:1
# text = By bathing her face in the cold spring water at each full moon, as the birds had said.
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	bathing	bath	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	19	advcl	_	_
3	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	face	face	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
7	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
8	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	13	det	_	_
12	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	moon	moon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
15	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	19	nsubj:pass	_	_
18	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	said	say	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	19	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bath** | gerund |  | her face |  | the cold spring water |  | at each full moon | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past · perfect · passive |  | the birds |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: subject=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By bathing her hands at the river each new moon.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1680-pg640-part4:e2:o2:1
# text = By bathing her hands at the river each new moon.
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	bathing	bath	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	hands	hand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
9	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	moon	moon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bath** | gerund |  | her hands |  | the river |  | each new moon *obl* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By bathing her face at the spring at each full moon.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1680-pg640-part4:e2:o3:1
# text = By bathing her face at the spring at each full moon.
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	bathing	bath	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	face	face	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	det	_	_
10	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	moon	moon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bath** | gerund |  | her face |  | each full moon | spring |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By bathing her face in the spring at every full moon, nine times over.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1680-pg640-part4:e2:o4:1
# text = By bathing her face in the spring at every full moon, nine times over.
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	bathing	bath	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	15	advcl	_	_
3	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	face	face	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	det	_	_
10	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	moon	moon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
13	nine	nine	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	14	nummod	_	_
14	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl:unmarked	_	_
15	over	over	ADV	RB	_	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bath** | gerund |  | her face |  | every full moon | spring |  | 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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- ← previous: [Household Tales, The Youth and the Wit…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1680-pg640-part4/e1/)
- next →: [Household Tales, The Youth and the Wit…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1680-pg640-part4/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Household Tales, The Youth and the Witch-maiden, part 4: the birds lead him to the moonlit spring](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1680-pg640-part4/)