---
title: What was the narrator's principal reason for refusing the genius's f… — Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, pa… · tree and pragmatics
description: What was the narrator's principal reason for refusing the genius's final command? Exam question 3 of lesson 174 «Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, part 14: the narrator smashes the talisman, and the genius catches him» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and prag
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/174-pg128-part14/e3/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/) / [Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, pa…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/174-pg128-part14/) / e3

# Exam question 3 · Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, part 14: the narrator…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What was the narrator's principal reason for refusing the genius's final command?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** principal reason, genius · **What happens:** be, refuse, command · **To what, where:** principal reason, final command · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 174 «Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, part 14: the narrator smashes the talisman, and the genius catches 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/174-pg128-part14/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:174-pg128-part14:e3:1
# text = What was the narrator's principal reason for refusing the genius's final command?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	7	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	narrator	narrator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	refusing	refuse	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	genius	genius	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	final	final	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	command	command	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the narrator's principal reason |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **refuse** | gerund | the narrator's principal reason *not said here* | the genius's final command |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent command=Theme |
| 3 | **command** |  | the genius |  |  |  |  |  | nom command «communication transitive»: poss=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 would not kill a stranger woman

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:174-pg128-part14:e3:o1:1
# text = He would not kill a stranger woman
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	kill	kill	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **kill** | would | He | a stranger woman |  |  |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent woman=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He would not slay a lady unknown to him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:174-pg128-part14:e3:o2:1
# text = He would not slay a lady unknown to him
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	slay	slay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lady	lady	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	unknown	unknown	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **slay** | would | He | a lady |  |  |  | unknown *property* | vn murder-42.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lady=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He would not slay a lady unknown to him, since he had sworn an oath to the holy men of the monastery

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:174-pg128-part14:e3:o3:1
# text = He would not slay a lady unknown to him, since he had sworn an oath to the holy men of the monastery
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	slay	slay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lady	lady	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	unknown	unknown	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
12	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
13	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	sworn	swear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
15	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	oath	oath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	to	to	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
19	holy	holy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	men	man	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obl	_	_
21	of	of	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	monastery	monastery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **slay** | would | He | a lady |  |  |  | unknown *property* | vn murder-42.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lady=Patient |
| 2 | **swear** | past · perfect | he | a oath |  |  |  | to the holy men of the monastery | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Agent oath=Eventuality |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He would not slay a lady unknown to him, whatever the genius might threaten him with

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:174-pg128-part14:e3:o4:1
# text = He would not slay a lady unknown to him, whatever the genius might threaten him with
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	slay	slay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lady	lady	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	unknown	unknown	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
11	whatever	whatever	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	15	obj	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	genius	genius	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	threaten	threaten	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	conj	_	_
16	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
17	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **slay** | would | He | a lady |  |  |  | unknown *property* | vn murder-42.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lady=Patient |
| 2 | **threaten** | might | the genius | whatever |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Stimulus whatever=Experiencer he=Result |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, pa…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/174-pg128-part14/e2/)
- next →: [Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, pa…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/174-pg128-part14/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Arabian Nights, The Third Calender, part 14: the narrator smashes the talisman, and the genius catches him](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/174-pg128-part14/)