---
title: What did the Giant's action towards the child signify with respect t… — Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant: the G… · tree and pragmatics
description: What did the Giant's action towards the child signify with respect to his own transformation? Exam question 2 of lesson 2035 «Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant: the Giant learns to love, frees the children, and dies under the blossoming tree» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the depe
---

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# Exam question 2 · Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant: the Giant learns to love,…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What did the Giant's action towards the child signify with respect to his own transformation?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** child · **What happens:** signify, transform

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 2035 «Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant: the Giant learns to love, frees the children, and dies under the blossoming tree» 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/2035-pg902-part5/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2035-pg902-part5:e2:1
# text = What did the Giant's action towards the child signify with respect to his own transformation?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	10	obj	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	Giant	giant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	towards	towards	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
10	signify	signify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	respect	respect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
15	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	transformation	transformation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | past · do-support |  |  |  |  |  | towards the child; with respect; to child's own transformation | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot what=Theme to transformation=Attribute |
| 2 | **transform** |  | child |  |  |  |  |  | nom transformation «event transitive»: poss=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signified his repentance, his gentleness towards children, and his wish to share his garden with them

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2035-pg902-part5:e2:o1:1
# text = It signified his repentance, his gentleness towards children, and his wish to share his garden with them
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signified	signify	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	repentance	repentance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	gentleness	gentleness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
8	towards	towards	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	wish	wish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	share	share	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	conj	_	_
16	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	garden	garden	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	_
18	with	with	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | past | It | his repentance and his gentleness towards children |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot repentance=Theme |
| 2 | **share** | to-infinitive | his wish | wish's garden |  |  |  | with children *= child* | tree rules |
| 3 | **repent** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom repentance «feeling transitive»: poss=agent |
| 4 | **wish** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom wish «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signified his repentance and his acceptance of love

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2035-pg902-part5:e2:o2:1
# text = It signified his repentance and his acceptance of love
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signified	signify	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	repentance	repentance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	acceptance	acceptance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | past | It | his repentance and his acceptance of love |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot repentance=Theme |
| 2 | **repent** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom repentance «feeling transitive»: poss=agent |
| 3 | **accept** |  | his *= he* | love |  |  |  |  | nom acceptance «cognition transitive»: poss=agent of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It showed his anger at the children and his pride

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2035-pg902-part5:e2:o3:1
# text = It showed his anger at the children and his pride
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	showed	show	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	anger	anger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	pride	pride	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | past | It | his anger |  |  |  | at the children | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent anger=Recipient |
| 2 | **anger** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom anger «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |
| 3 | **pride** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom pride «feeling transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signified that he had at last repented and fully accepted the love of the children around him

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2035-pg902-part5:e2:o4:1
# text = It signified that he had at last repented and fully accepted the love of the children around him
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signified	signify	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
4	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	obl	_	_
8	repented	repent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	xcomp	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	fully	fully	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	accepted	accept	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod	_	_
17	around	around	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | past | It |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | past | he |  |  | last |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **repent** | participle | he *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **accept** | past |  | the love of the children |  |  |  | around him *= he*; fully *property* | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent love=Theme |
| 5 | **love** |  |  | the children |  |  |  |  | nom love «feeling transitive»: of=patient |

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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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