---
title: By what means did the woman in white depart from the nursery? — Wonder Tales, The Witch in the Stone B… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did the woman in white depart from the nursery? Exam question 4 of lesson 1739 «Wonder Tales, The Witch in the Stone Boat, part 63: a Witch swaps places with the Queen and steals her away on a stone boat» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragma
---

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# Exam question 4 · Wonder Tales, The Witch in the Stone Boat, part 63: a Witc…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did the woman in white depart from the nursery?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** white · **What happens:** mean, do, depart · **To what, where:** woman, nursery · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 1739 «Wonder Tales, The Witch in the Stone Boat, part 63: a Witch swaps places with the Queen and steals her away on a stone boat» 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/1739-pg640-part63/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1739-pg640-part63:e4:1
# text = By what means did the woman in white depart from the nursery?
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	_	_
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	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	in	in	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	nsubj	_	_
9	depart	depart	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	nursery	nursery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	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 woman |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent woman=Eventuality |
| 3 | **depart** | present | white |  |  | the nursery |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme from nursery=Initial\_Location |

<!-- .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 -->
by the way she had come, the floor closing slowly over her as the lamp went out

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1739-pg640-part63:e4:o1:1
# text = by the way she had come, the floor closing slowly over her as the lamp went out
1	by	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	_
4	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	come	come	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	3	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
10	closing	close	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	acl	_	_
11	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
12	over	over	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obl	_	_
14	as	as	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	lamp	lamp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
17	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
18	out	out	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past · perfect | she | the way *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location way=Theme |
| 2 | **close** | gerund | the floor *not said here* |  |  |  |  | over floor; as the lamp; slowly *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **go out** | past | the floor |  |  |  |  | by the way; out *property* | vn interact-36.6 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by the way she had come, the floor closing over her

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1739-pg640-part63:e4:o2:1
# text = by the way she had come, the floor closing over her
1	by	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
4	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	come	come	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	3	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	closing	close	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
11	over	over	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past · perfect | she | the way *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location way=Theme |
| 2 | **close** | gerund | the floor | her *= she* |  |  |  | by the way | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent her=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
down the stairs and into the dark hallway behind

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1739-pg640-part63:e4:o3:1
# text = down the stairs and into the dark hallway behind
1	down	down	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	stairs	stair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	hallway	hallway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
9	behind	behind	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
by the way she had come, with the floor closing over her head and the nurse watching

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1739-pg640-part63:e4:o4:1
# text = by the way she had come, with the floor closing over her head and the nurse watching
1	by	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
4	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	come	come	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	closing	close	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
12	over	over	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	nurse	nurse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	conj	_	_
18	watching	watch	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past · perfect | she |  |  |  |  | by the way; with the floor | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme by way=Location |
| 2 | **close** | gerund | the floor *not said here* |  |  | her head and the nurse |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **watch** | gerund | her head and the nurse *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn search-35.2 «NP V PP.location»: 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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- ← previous: [Wonder Tales, The Witch in the Stone B…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1739-pg640-part63/e3/)
- next →: [Andersen, Thumbelina, part 1: a tiny g…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1740-pg640-part64/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Wonder Tales, The Witch in the Stone Boat, part 63: a Witch swaps places with the Queen and steals her away on a stone boat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1739-pg640-part63/)