---
title: Which of the following accurately describes the reasons the sage cou… — Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies: the Pyg… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following accurately describes the reasons the sage counsellors gave for rejecting the herald's trumpet proposal? Exam question 3 of lesson 2054 «Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies: the Pygmies try to finish off the sleeping Hercules, but he wakes, laughs at their champion, spares them, and 
---

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# Exam question 3 · Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies: the Pygmies try to finish o…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following accurately describes the reasons the sage counsellors gave for rejecting the herald's trumpet proposal?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** reasons, herald · **What happens:** follow, describe, give, reject, propose · **To what, where:** trumpet proposal

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 2054 «Tanglewood Tales, The Pygmies: the Pygmies try to finish off the sleeping Hercules, but he wakes, laughs at their champion, spares them, and leaves» 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/2054-pg976-part13/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2054-pg976-part13:e3:1
# text = Which of the following accurately describes the reasons the sage counsellors gave for rejecting the herald's trumpet proposal?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	reasons	reason	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	sage	sage	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	counsellors	counsellor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
12	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	ccomp	_	_
13	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
14	rejecting	reject	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	advcl	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	herald	herald	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	's	's	PART	POS	_	16	case	_	_
18	trumpet	trumpet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	compound	_	_
19	proposal	proposal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	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 | **describe** | present |  |  |  |  |  | accurately *property* | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **give** | past | the reasons |  |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **reject** | gerund | the reasons *not said here* | the herald's trumpet proposal |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent proposal=Theme |
| 5 | **propose** |  | the herald |  |  |  |  |  | nom proposal «communication intransitive»: 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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
War already existed, and the Pygmies held the privilege of surprising their enemy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2054-pg976-part13:e3:o1:1
# text = War already existed, and the Pygmies held the privilege of surprising their enemy
1	War	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	already	already	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	existed	exist	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Pygmies	pygmy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	held	hold	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	privilege	privilege	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	surprising	surprise	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
13	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	enemy	enemy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exist** | past | War |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **hold** | past | the Pygmies | the privilege |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent privilege=Theme |
| 3 | **surprise** | gerund | the privilege *not said here* | Pygmies's enemy |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus enemy=Experiencer |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The war had already begun, and surprise was the Pygmies' right

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2054-pg976-part13:e3:o2:1
# text = The war had already begun, and surprise was the Pygmies' right
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	already	already	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	begun	begin	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
8	surprise	surprise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	Pygmies	pygmy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	'	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **begin** | past · perfect | the war |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **is** | past | surprise |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
War already existed, and the Pygmies held the privilege of surprising their enemy, which the sages thought ancient custom had long protected

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2054-pg976-part13:e3:o3:1
# text = War already existed, and the Pygmies held the privilege of surprising their enemy, which the sages thought ancient custom had long protected
1	War	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	already	already	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	existed	exist	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Pygmies	pygmy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	held	hold	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	privilege	privilege	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	surprising	surprise	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
13	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	enemy	enemy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
16	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	19	obj	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	sages	sage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	19	nsubj	_	_
19	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	parataxis	_	_
20	ancient	ancient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	amod	_	_
21	custom	custom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	nsubj:pass	_	_
22	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	24	aux	_	_
23	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	24	advmod	_	_
24	protected	protect	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	19	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exist** | past | War |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **hold** | past | the Pygmies | the privilege |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent privilege=Theme |
| 3 | **surprise** | gerund | the privilege *not said here* | Pygmies's enemy |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus enemy=Experiencer |
| 4 | **think** *speech: other* | past | the sages | Pygmies's enemy |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent which=Attribute clause=Theme |
| 5 | **protect** | past · perfect · passive |  | ancient custom |  |  |  | long *property* | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: subject=Beneficiary |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A truce existed already, so the trumpet was unnecessary for the sages

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2054-pg976-part13:e3:o4:1
# text = A truce existed already, so the trumpet was unnecessary for the sages
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	truce	truce	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	existed	exist	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	already	already	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	trumpet	trumpet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	unnecessary	unnecessary	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	sages	sage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exist** | past | a truce |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | the trumpet |  |  |  |  | for the sages; unnecessary *property* | tree rules |

<!-- 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 -->

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