---
title: What reason does the narrator give for the failure of the servants a… — fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthi… · tree and pragmatics
description: What reason does the narrator give for the failure of the servants at the locked door? Exam question 3 of lesson 1909 «fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthia, part 46: Milan wins a second test and the pair flee the Magician» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and
---

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# Exam question 3 · fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthia, part 46: Milan wi…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What reason does the narrator give for the failure of the servants at the locked door?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** reason, servants · **What happens:** give, lock, fail · **To what, where:** locked door

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 1909 «fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthia, part 46: Milan wins a second test and the pair flee the Magician» 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/1909-pg7277-part46/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1909-pg7277-part46:e3:1
# text = What reason does the narrator give for the failure of the servants at the locked door?
1	What	what	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:outer	_	_
3	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	narrator	narrator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	failure	failure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	servants	servant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	locked	lock	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	amod	_	_
16	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · do-support | what reason |  |  | the locked door |  | for the failure of the servants | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.asset»: agent=Agent for failure=Asset |
| 2 | **lock** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn tape-22.4 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **fail** |  | the servants |  |  |  |  |  | nom failure «act intransitive»: of=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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The frozen breath replies in Milan's voice, so the servants believe the Prince is still inside the room

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1909-pg7277-part46:e3:o1:1
# text = The frozen breath replies in Milan's voice, so the servants believe the Prince is still inside the room
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	frozen	freeze	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	amod	_	_
3	breath	breath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	replies	reply	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	Milan	Milan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	voice	voice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	servants	servant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
13	believe	believe	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	Prince	Prince	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	_
16	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	cop	_	_
17	still	still	ADV	RB	_	20	advmod	_	_
18	inside	inside	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	room	room	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **freeze** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **reply** *speech: assert* | present | the frozen breath |  |  | Milan's voice |  |  | vn respond-113 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **believe** | present | the servants |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer |
| 4 | **is** | present | the Prince |  |  | the room | still |  | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The frozen breath replies in Milan's voice

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1909-pg7277-part46:e3:o2:1
# text = The frozen breath replies in Milan's voice
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	frozen	freeze	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	amod	_	_
3	breath	breath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	replies	reply	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	Milan	Milan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	voice	voice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **freeze** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **reply** *speech: assert* | present | the frozen breath |  |  | Milan's voice |  |  | vn respond-113 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The frozen breath replies in Milan's voice, which the servants do not recognize at all

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1909-pg7277-part46:e3:o3:1
# text = The frozen breath replies in Milan's voice, which the servants do not recognize at all
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	frozen	freeze	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	amod	_	_
3	breath	breath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	replies	reply	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	Milan	Milan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	voice	voice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	obj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	servants	servant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
13	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	15	advmod	_	_
15	recognize	recognize	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	acl:relcl	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **freeze** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **reply** *speech: assert* | present | the frozen breath |  |  | Milan's voice |  |  | vn respond-113 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **recognize** | present · do-support | the servants | Milan's voice |  | all |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer which=Stimulus |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The servants were simply too frightened to act

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1909-pg7277-part46:e3:o4:1
# text = The servants were simply too frightened to act
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	servants	servant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	simply	simply	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	too	too	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	frightened	frightened	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	act	act	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the servants |  |  |  |  | frightened, simply *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **act** | to-infinitive | the servants *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1-1 «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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- ← previous: [fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthi…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1909-pg7277-part46/e2/)
- next →: [fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthi…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1909-pg7277-part46/e4/)
- ↑ back to [fairy book, Prince Milan and Hyacinthia, part 46: Milan wins a second test and the pair flee the Magician](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1909-pg7277-part46/)