---
title: By what means did the Princess obtain the secret of her husband's po… — Russian Fairy Tales, Martin the Widow'… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did the Princess obtain the secret of her husband's power? Exam question 2 of lesson 1719 «Russian Fairy Tales, Martin the Widow's Son, part 43: the King jails Martin, and his animal friends steal rolls to save him» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree
---

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# Exam question 2 · Russian Fairy Tales, Martin the Widow's Son, part 43: the…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did the Princess obtain the secret of her husband's power?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Princess · **What happens:** mean, obtain · **To what, where:** secret

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1719 «Russian Fairy Tales, Martin the Widow's Son, part 43: the King jails Martin, and his animal friends steal rolls to save him» 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/1719-pg640-part43/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1719-pg640-part43:e2:1
# text = By what means did the Princess obtain the secret of her husband's power?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
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	Princess	Princess	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	obtain	obtain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	secret	secret	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
11	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	power	power	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	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 | **obtain** | past · do-support | the Princess | the secret of Princess's husband's power |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent secret=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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By administering a potion and listening while he slept

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1719-pg640-part43:e2:o1:1
# text = By administering a potion and listening while he slept
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	administering	administer	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	potion	potion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	listening	listen	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
7	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	slept	sleep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **administer** | gerund |  | a potion |  |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2-1-1 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent potion=Theme |
| 2 | **listen** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **sleep** | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By threatening him with the King's guards at night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1719-pg640-part43:e2:o2:1
# text = By threatening him with the King's guards at night
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	threatening	threaten	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	King	King	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	guards	guard	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **threaten** | gerund |  | him *= he* |  |  | night | with the King's guards | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus he=Experiencer |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By administering a potion and listening while he slept beside the tower wall

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1719-pg640-part43:e2:o3:1
# text = By administering a potion and listening while he slept beside the tower wall
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	administering	administer	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	potion	potion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	listening	listen	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
7	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	slept	sleep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	beside	beside	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	tower	tower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	wall	wall	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **administer** | gerund | he *not said here* | a potion |  |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2-1-1 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent potion=Theme |
| 2 | **listen** | gerund | he *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **sleep** | past | he |  |  | the tower wall |  |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By administering a sleeping potion and listening carefully while he slept and talked

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1719-pg640-part43:e2:o4:1
# text = By administering a sleeping potion and listening carefully while he slept and talked
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	administering	administer	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	sleeping	sleep	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	amod	_	_
5	potion	potion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	listening	listen	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	conj	_	_
8	carefully	carefully	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
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	slept	sleep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	talked	talk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **administer** | gerund |  | a sleeping potion |  |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2-1-1 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent potion=Theme |
| 2 | **sleep** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **listen** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | carefully *property* | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **sleep** | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn snooze-40.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **talk** | past | he *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=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.

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