---
title: What is the principal reason the old emperor is unable to defend his… — pg641 tales, The Girl Who Pretended to… · tree and pragmatics
description: What is the principal reason the old emperor is unable to defend his realm in the second tale? Exam question 2 of lesson 1805 «pg641 tales, The Girl Who Pretended to Be a Boy, part 56: a princess becomes a duck, and a girl rides off to serve as a son» of the books course of Mova's primary school, wi
---

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# Exam question 2 · pg641 tales, The Girl Who Pretended to Be a Boy, part 56:…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What is the principal reason the old emperor is unable to defend his realm in the second tale?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** old emperor · **What happens:** be, defend · **To what, where:** principal reason, realm, second tale

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1805 «pg641 tales, The Girl Who Pretended to Be a Boy, part 56: a princess becomes a duck, and a girl rides off to serve as a son» 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/1805-pg641-part56/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1805-pg641-part56:e2:1
# text = What is the principal reason the old emperor is unable to defend his realm in the second tale?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	emperor	emperor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	unable	unable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	acl:relcl	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	defend	defend	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
13	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	realm	realm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	18	amod	_	_
18	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the old emperor | the principal reason *not said here* |  |  |  | unable *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **defend** | to-infinitive | the old emperor *not said here* | his realm |  | the second tale |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent realm=Beneficiary |

<!-- .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 -->
His sons were captured and his daughters refused to fight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1805-pg641-part56:e2:o1:1
# text = His sons were captured and his daughters refused to fight
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	sons	son	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	captured	capture	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	daughters	daughter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	refused	refuse	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	fight	fight	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **capture** | past · passive |  | His sons |  |  |  |  | vn steal-10.5-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **refuse** | past | his daughters |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **fight** | to-infinitive | his daughters *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He lacks a son who might serve as a warrior, having only daughters, and his enemies have already begun to march upon the eastern border

<!-- fold The tree, 25 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1805-pg641-part56:e2:o2:1
# text = He lacks a son who might serve as a warrior, having only daughters, and his enemies have already begun to march upon the eastern border
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	lacks	lack	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
6	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	serve	serve	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
8	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	warrior	warrior	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	having	have	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
13	only	only	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	daughters	daughter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	21	cc	_	_
17	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
18	enemies	enemy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	nsubj:pass	_	_
19	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	aux	_	_
20	already	already	ADV	RB	_	21	advmod	_	_
21	begun	begin	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	parataxis	_	_
22	to	to	PART	TO	_	23	mark	_	_
23	march	march	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	21	xcomp	_	_
24	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
25	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
26	eastern	eastern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	amod	_	_
27	border	border	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lack** | present | He | a son |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **serve** | might | a son |  |  |  |  | as a warrior | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as warrior=Attribute |
| 3 | **have** | gerund | He *not said here* | daughters |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent daughter=Patient |
| 4 | **begin** | present · perfect · passive |  | his enemies |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **march** | to-infinitive |  |  |  | the eastern border |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme upon border=Trajectory |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He lacks a son who might serve as a warrior, having only daughters

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1805-pg641-part56:e2:o3:1
# text = He lacks a son who might serve as a warrior, having only daughters
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	lacks	lack	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
6	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	serve	serve	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
8	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	warrior	warrior	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	having	have	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
13	only	only	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	daughters	daughter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lack** | present | He | a son |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **serve** | might | a son |  |  |  |  | as a warrior | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as warrior=Attribute |
| 3 | **have** | gerund | He *not said here* | daughters |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent daughter=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He has been cursed by a magician so that no son of his may ever survive long enough to reach the age of warrior, leaving only daughters behind

<!-- fold The tree, 28 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1805-pg641-part56:e2:o4:1
# text = He has been cursed by a magician so that no son of his may ever survive long enough to reach the age of warrior, leaving only daughters behind
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	cursed	curse	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	magician	magician	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	so	so	SCONJ	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	fixed	_	_
10	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
11	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
12	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
13	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
14	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
15	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	16	advmod	_	_
16	survive	survive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	acl:relcl	_	_
17	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	16	advmod	_	_
18	enough	enough	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
19	to	to	PART	TO	_	20	mark	_	_
20	reach	reach	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	advcl	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	age	age	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obj	_	_
23	of	of	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
24	warrior	warrior	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	26	punct	_	_
26	leaving	leave	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
27	only	only	ADV	RB	_	28	advmod	_	_
28	daughters	daughter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	26	obj	_	_
29	behind	behind	ADV	RB	_	26	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **curse** | present · perfect · passive | a magician | He |  |  |  | so no son | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 2 | **survive** | may | no son *not said here* |  |  |  | ever | long *property* | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **reach** | to-infinitive | no son *not said here* | the age of warrior |  |  |  |  | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Agent age=Theme |
| 4 | **leave** | gerund | a magician *not said here* | daughters |  |  |  | behind *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent daughter=Theme |

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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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