---
title: By what means did the crone recover from decapitation? — More Celtic Fairy Tales, The Fisherman… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means did the crone recover from decapitation? Exam question 4 of lesson 2007 «More Celtic Fairy Tales, The Fisherman's Son, part 1: a poor fisherman promises his first son to the sea-maiden, and the son sets out» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pra
---

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# Exam question 4 · More Celtic Fairy Tales, The Fisherman's Son, part 1: a po…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means did the crone recover from decapitation?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** crone · **What happens:** mean, recover · **To what, where:** decapitation

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 2007 «More Celtic Fairy Tales, The Fisherman's Son, part 1: a poor fisherman promises his first son to the sea-maiden, and the son sets out» 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/2007-pg7885-part26/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2007-pg7885-part26:e4:1
# text = By what means did the crone recover from decapitation?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	obl	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
4	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	crone	crone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	recover	recover	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	decapitation	decapitation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **recover** | past · do-support | the crone |  |  | decapitation |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent from decapitation=Source |

<!-- .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 -->
She simply lifted her head from the grass, dusted it off, and fixed it onto her neck again

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2007-pg7885-part26:e4:o1:1
# text = She simply lifted her head from the grass, dusted it off, and fixed it onto her neck again
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	simply	simply	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	lifted	lift	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	dusted	dust	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	off	off	ADP	RP	_	10	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	fixed	fix	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
17	onto	onto	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	19	nmod:poss	_	_
19	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
20	again	again	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lift** | past | She | her head |  | the grass |  | simply *property* | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent head=Theme from grass=Destination |
| 2 | **dust off** | past | She *not said here* | head |  |  |  |  | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 3 | **fix** | past | She *not said here* | head |  | her neck | again |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A spell from the giant's old book

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2007-pg7885-part26:e4:o2:1
# text = A spell from the giant's old book
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	spell	spell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	giant	giant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her sorcery sewed the head back onto her neck while the herd watched in horror and disbelief

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2007-pg7885-part26:e4:o3:1
# text = Her sorcery sewed the head back onto her neck while the herd watched in horror and disbelief
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	sorcery	sorcery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sewed	sew	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	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	back	back	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	onto	onto	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
10	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	herd	herd	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	watched	watch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	horror	horror	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	disbelief	disbelief	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sew back** | past | Her sorcery | the head |  | sorcery's neck |  |  | vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent head=Theme onto neck=Destination |
| 2 | **watch** | past | the herd |  |  | horror and disbelief |  |  | vn search-35.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent in horror=Location |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her magic restored her head to its place

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2007-pg7885-part26:e4:o4:1
# text = Her magic restored her head to its place
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	magic	magic	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	restored	restore	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **restore** | past | Her magic | magic's head | head's place |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent head=Theme to place=Recipient |

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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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<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [More Celtic Fairy Tales, The Fisherman…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2007-pg7885-part26/e3/)
- next →: [Celtic Fairy Tales, The Herd Boy, part…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2008-pg7885-part27/t1/)
- ↑ back to [More Celtic Fairy Tales, The Fisherman's Son, part 1: a poor fisherman promises his first son to the sea-maiden, and the son sets out](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2007-pg7885-part26/)