---
title: According to the passage, what was the principal reason the palace r… — Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 2… · tree and pragmatics
description: According to the passage, what was the principal reason the palace remained unfinished when the workmen retired to rest? Exam question 2 of lesson 2061 «Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 20: Cadmus sets the five dragon-born warriors to build a city, finds a magic palace, and meets Harmonia» of th
---

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# Exam question 2 · Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 20: Cadmus sets the f…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
According to the passage, what was the principal reason the palace remained unfinished when the workmen retired to rest?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** passage, palace, workmen · **What happens:** accord, be, remain, retire, rest · **To what, where:** principal reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 2061 «Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 20: Cadmus sets the five dragon-born warriors to build a city, finds a magic palace, and meets Harmonia» 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/2061-pg976-part20/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2061-pg976-part20:e2:1
# text = According to the passage, what was the principal reason the palace remained unfinished when the workmen retired to rest?
1	According	accord	VERB	VBG	ExtPos=ADP|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	case	_	_
2	to	to	ADP	IN	_	1	fixed	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	passage	passage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	10	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	palace	palace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	remained	remain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	acl:relcl	_	_
14	unfinished	unfinished	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	xcomp	_	_
15	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	18	advmod	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	workmen	workman	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nsubj	_	_
18	retired	retire	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	advcl	_	_
19	to	to	PART	TO	_	20	mark	_	_
20	rest	rest	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	18	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accord** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | the passage and the principal reason | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **remain** | past | the palace | the principal reason *not said here* |  |  |  | unfinished *property* | vn seem-109-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme reason=Attribute |
| 4 | **retire** | past | the workmen |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **rest** | to-infinitive | the workmen *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The builders had reserved it for last, intending to introduce new architectural improvements.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2061-pg976-part20:e2:o1:1
# text = The builders had reserved it for last, intending to introduce new architectural improvements.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	builders	builder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	reserved	reserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	intending	intend	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	introduce	introduce	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
13	architectural	architectural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	improvements	improvement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reserve** | past · perfect · passive |  | the builders |  |  |  | for last | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP.beneficiary NP»: subject=Beneficiary it=Theme |
| 2 | **intend** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **introduce** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | new architectural improvements |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent improvement=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The soldiers were too tired to finish.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2061-pg976-part20:e2:o2:1
# text = The soldiers were too tired to finish.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	soldiers	soldier	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	too	too	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	tired	tired	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	finish	finish	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the soldiers |  |  |  |  | tired *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **finish** | to-infinitive | the soldiers *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The workmen had been told by the gods to leave the palace unfinished until the next spring.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2061-pg976-part20:e2:o3:1
# text = The workmen had been told by the gods to leave the palace unfinished until the next spring.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	workmen	workman	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	told	tell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	gods	god	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	leave	leave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	palace	palace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	unfinished	unfinished	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	xcomp	_	_
14	until	until	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	next	next	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | past · perfect · passive | the gods | the workmen |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **leave** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | the palace |  |  | spring | unfinished *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent palace=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The workmen had no time left in the day.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:2061-pg976-part20:e2:o4:1
# text = The workmen had no time left in the day.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	workmen	workman	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | the workmen |  |  |  | time |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **leave** | participle |  | no time *not said here* |  |  | day |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- 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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- ← previous: [Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 2…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2061-pg976-part20/e1/)
- next →: [Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 2…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2061-pg976-part20/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Tanglewood, The Dragon's Teeth, part 20: Cadmus sets the five dragon-born warriors to build a city, finds a magic palace, and meets Harmonia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/2061-pg976-part20/)