---
title: What office did the old soothsayer perform for the afflicted husband? — Celtic Fairy Tales, The Sea-Maiden: th… · tree and pragmatics
description: What office did the old soothsayer perform for the afflicted husband? Exam question 3 of lesson 2009 «Celtic Fairy Tales, The Sea-Maiden: the egg is broken and the sea-maiden dies» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each optio
---

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# Exam question 3 · Celtic Fairy Tales, The Sea-Maiden: the egg is broken and…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What office did the old soothsayer perform for the afflicted husband?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** old soothsayer · **What happens:** perform, afflict

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 2009 «Celtic Fairy Tales, The Sea-Maiden: the egg is broken and the sea-maiden dies» 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/2009-pg7885-part28/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2009-pg7885-part28:e3:1
# text = What office did the old soothsayer perform for the afflicted husband?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	7	obl	_	_
2	office	office	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	soothsayer	soothsayer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	perform	perform	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	amod	_	_
11	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **perform** | past · do-support | the old soothsayer |  |  |  |  | for the afflicted husband | vn performance-26.7 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for husband=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **afflict** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 -->
He told the husband how to find the princess

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2009-pg7885-part28:e3:o1:1
# text = He told the husband how to find the princess
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	told	tell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	iobj	_	_
5	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	princess	princess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | past | He |  | the husband |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent husband=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **find** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | the princess |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent princess=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He revealed the single method of her destruction to the husband in secret

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2009-pg7885-part28:e3:o2:1
# text = He revealed the single method of her destruction to the husband in secret
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	revealed	reveal	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	method	method	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	destruction	destruction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	secret	secret	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reveal** | past | He | the single method of her destruction | the husband | secret |  |  | vn confess-37.10 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent method=Topic to husband=Recipient |
| 2 | **destroy** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom destruction «act transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He explained the whole plan, which was to break the egg with his foot after catching the trout

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2009-pg7885-part28:e3:o3:1
# text = He explained the whole plan, which was to break the egg with his foot after catching the trout
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	explained	explain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	plan	plan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	break	break	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	egg	egg	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	foot	foot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
16	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
17	catching	catch	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	advcl	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	trout	trout	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | past | He | the whole plan |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent plan=Topic |
| 2 | **is** | past | the whole plan |  |  |  |  | with his foot; break *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **catch** | gerund | the whole plan *not said here* | the trout |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent trout=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He disclosed the single method of her destruction

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2009-pg7885-part28:e3:o4:1
# text = He disclosed the single method of her destruction
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	disclosed	disclose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	method	method	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	destruction	destruction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **disclose** | past | He | the single method of her destruction |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot method=Topic |
| 2 | **destroy** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom destruction «act transitive»: poss=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.

<!-- /div -->

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