---
title: Which of the following accurately states the means by which the girl… — English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following accurately states the means by which the girl came into possession of the baron's ring? Exam question 2 of lesson 1971 «English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the Ring: a baron tries to drown the girl he has fated for his son, and a ring saves her» of the books course of Mova's pri
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1971-pg7439-part30/e2/)

<!-- 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/) / [English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1971-pg7439-part30/) / e2

# Exam question 2 · English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the Ring: a baron tries…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following accurately states the means by which the girl came into possession of the baron's ring?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** the, girl · **What happens:** follow, state, mean, come, possess · **To what, where:** possession, ring · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 1971 «English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the Ring: a baron tries to drown the girl he has fated for his son, and a ring saves her» 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/1971-pg7439-part30/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1971-pg7439-part30:e2:1
# text = Which of the following accurately states the means by which the girl came into possession of the baron's ring?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	nsubj	_	_
5	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	states	state	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	nsubj	_	_
8	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	ccomp	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	obl	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	ccomp	_	_
14	into	into	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	possession	possession	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	baron	baron	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	's	's	PART	POS	_	18	case	_	_
20	ring	ring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **state** *speech: other* | present |  |  |  |  |  | accurately *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **mean** | present | the |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **come** | past | the girl |  |  | possession of the baron's ring |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme into possession=Initial\_Location |
| 5 | **possess** |  |  | the baron's ring |  |  |  |  | nom possession «act 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 -->
She discovered it within a large fish that she had been instructed to clean for the feast in the hall

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1971-pg7439-part30:e2:o1:1
# text = She discovered it within a large fish that she had been instructed to clean for the feast in the hall
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	discovered	discover	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	within	within	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	large	large	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
15	for	for	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	feast	feast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
18	in	in	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	hall	hall	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discover** | past | She | it |  |  |  | within a large fish | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **instruct** *speech: other* | past · perfect · passive |  | fish |  |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP how S\_INF»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **clean** | to-infinitive |  |  |  | the hall |  | for the feast | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She discovered it within a fish she had been instructed to clean by the cook at the castle

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1971-pg7439-part30:e2:o2:1
# text = She discovered it within a fish she had been instructed to clean by the cook at the castle
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	discovered	discover	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	within	within	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
9	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl:relcl	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
13	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	cook	cook	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	castle	castle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discover** | past | She | it |  |  |  | within a fish | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **instruct** *speech: other* | past · perfect · passive | a fish *not said here* | fish |  |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |
| 3 | **clean** | to-infinitive | She *not said here* |  |  | the castle |  | by the cook | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She discovered it within a fish she had been instructed to clean

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1971-pg7439-part30:e2:o3:1
# text = She discovered it within a fish she had been instructed to clean
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	discovered	discover	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	within	within	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
9	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl:relcl	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discover** | past | She | it |  |  |  | within a fish | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **instruct** *speech: other* | past · perfect · passive | a fish *not said here* | fish |  |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP how S\_INF»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **clean** | to-infinitive | a fish *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She found it while cleaning a fish from the fisherman's net

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1971-pg7439-part30:e2:o4:1
# text = She found it while cleaning a fish from the fisherman's net
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	cleaning	clean	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	fisherman	fisherman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	net	net	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | She | it |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |
| 2 | **clean** | gerund | She *not said here* | a fish |  | the fisherman's net |  |  | vn clear-10.3 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent fish=Theme from net=Source |

<!-- 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: [English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1971-pg7439-part30/e1/)
- next →: [English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1971-pg7439-part30/e3/)
- ↑ back to [English Fairy Tales, The Fish and the Ring: a baron tries to drown the girl he has fated for his son, and a ring saves her](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1971-pg7439-part30/)

