---
title: Explain the function of the salt within the narrative, as it relates… — Arabian Nights, Alnaschar, part 34: th… · tree and pragmatics
description: Explain the function of the salt within the narrative, as it relates to the survival of the protagonist. Exam question 3 of lesson 194 «Arabian Nights, Alnaschar, part 34: the broken glass, the gold, and the trap below the house» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree
---

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# Exam question 3 · Arabian Nights, Alnaschar, part 34: the broken glass, the…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Explain the function of the salt within the narrative, as it relates to the survival of the protagonist.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, function · **What happens:** explain, relate, survive · **To what, where:** function, protagonist

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This is exam question 3 of lesson 194 «Arabian Nights, Alnaschar, part 34: the broken glass, the gold, and the trap below the house» 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/194-pg128-part34/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:194-pg128-part34:e3:1
# text = Explain the function of the salt within the narrative, as it relates to the survival of the protagonist.
1	Explain	explain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	within	within	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	narrative	narrative	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	relates	relate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	survival	survival	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	protagonist	protagonist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | the function of the salt |  |  |  | within the narrative | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent function=Topic |
| 2 | **relate** | present | function |  |  |  |  | to the survival of the protagonist | vn relate-86.2-2 «NP V PP.co-theme»: agent=Theme to survival=Co-Theme |
| 3 | **survive** |  |  | the protagonist |  |  |  |  | nom survival «state transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 salt cured the cuts and let the old woman release him from the vault

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:194-pg128-part34:e3:o1:1
# text = The salt cured the cuts and let the old woman release him from the vault
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	cured	cure	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	cuts	cut	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	let	let	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	release	release	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
12	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
13	from	from	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	vault	vault	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cure** | past | the salt | the cuts |  |  |  |  | vn free-10.6.3-1-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Causer cut=Source |
| 2 | **let** | infinitive | the salt *not said here* | the old woman |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **release** | infinitive | the old woman *not said here* | salt |  | the vault |  |  | vn free-10.6.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Causer he=Source |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The stinging of the salt kept him conscious and so preserved his life

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:194-pg128-part34:e3:o2:1
# text = The stinging of the salt kept him conscious and so preserved his life
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	stinging	stinging	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	conscious	conscious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	preserved	preserve	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past | the stinging of the salt | him *= he* |  |  |  | conscious *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 2 | **preserve** | past | the stinging of the salt *not said here* | stinging's life |  |  |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent life=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **sting** |  |  | the salt |  |  |  |  | nom stinging «state transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It healed his wounds quickly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:194-pg128-part34:e3:o3:1
# text = It healed his wounds quickly
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	healed	heal	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	wounds	wound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	quickly	quickly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **heal** | past | It | his wounds |  |  |  | quickly *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent wound=Patient |
| 2 | **wound** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom wound «state transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The salt stopped the bleeding

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:194-pg128-part34:e3:o4:1
# text = The salt stopped the bleeding
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stopped	stop	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	bleeding	bleeding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | past | the salt | the bleeding |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Subeventuality bleeding=Eventuality |

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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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