---
title: By whose authority did the vizir Giafar arrive at Balsora, and for w… — Arabian Nights, Noureddin Ali and the… · tree and pragmatics
description: By whose authority did the vizir Giafar arrive at Balsora, and for what purpose was he commissioned? Exam question 2 of lesson 210 «Arabian Nights, Noureddin Ali and the Fair Persian: Saouy's plot nearly kills Noureddin, but the vizir arrives in time» of the books course of Mova's primary school, wi
---

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# Exam question 2 · Arabian Nights, Noureddin Ali and the Fair Persian: Saouy'…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By whose authority did the vizir Giafar arrive at Balsora, and for what purpose was he commissioned?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Giafar · **What happens:** do, arrive, commission · **To what, where:** vizir, Balsora, purpose

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 210 «Arabian Nights, Noureddin Ali and the Fair Persian: Saouy's plot nearly kills Noureddin, but the vizir arrives in time» 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/210-pg128-part50/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:210-pg128-part50:e2:1
# text = By whose authority did the vizir Giafar arrive at Balsora, and for what purpose was he commissioned?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	whose	whose	PRON	WP$	Poss=Yes|PronType=Rel	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	authority	authority	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
4	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	vizir	vizir	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	Giafar	Giafar	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	arrive	arrive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	Balsora	Balsora	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	parataxis	_	_
15	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj:pass	_	_
16	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux:pass	_	_
17	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
18	commissioned	commission	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | past |  | the vizir |  |  |  | by authority | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent vizir=Eventuality |
| 2 | **arrive** | present | Giafar | the vizir *not said here* |  | Balsora |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **commission** | past · passive |  | purpose |  |  |  |  | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP»: subject=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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By order of the chief eunuch, to confirm the sentence and to return the king's gold to Bagdad soon

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:210-pg128-part50:e2:o1:1
# text = By order of the chief eunuch, to confirm the sentence and to return the king's gold to Bagdad soon
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	chief	chief	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	eunuch	eunuch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	confirm	confirm	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	return	return	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	's	's	PART	POS	_	16	case	_	_
18	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
19	to	to	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	Bagdad	Bagdad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
21	soon	soon	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	14	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **confirm** | to-infinitive |  | the sentence |  |  |  | by order of the chief eunuch | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot sentence=Topic |
| 2 | **return** | to-infinitive |  | the king's gold | Bagdad |  |  | soon *property* | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent gold=Theme to bagdad=Destination |
| 3 | **order** |  |  | the chief eunuch |  |  |  |  | nom order «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By the Caliph's command

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:210-pg128-part50:e2:o2:1
# text = By the Caliph's command
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	Caliph	Caliph	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	command	command	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **command** |  | the Caliph |  |  |  |  |  | nom command «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By the Caliph's command, to ascertain whether Noureddin lived and to bring the parties to Bagdad

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:210-pg128-part50:e2:o3:1
# text = By the Caliph's command, to ascertain whether Noureddin lived and to bring the parties to Bagdad
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	Caliph	Caliph	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	command	command	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	Noureddin	Noureddin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	lived	live	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	advcl	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	bring	bring	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	11	conj	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
17	to	to	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	Bagdad	Bagdad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | by the Caliph's command | vn discover-84 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **live** | past | Noureddin |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **bring** | to-infinitive | Noureddin *not said here* | the parties | Bagdad |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent party=Theme to bagdad=Destination |
| 4 | **command** |  | the Caliph |  |  |  |  |  | nom command «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To bring the parties to Bagdad

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:210-pg128-part50:e2:o4:1
# text = To bring the parties to Bagdad
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	bring	bring	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Bagdad	Bagdad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bring** | to-infinitive |  | the parties | Bagdad |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent party=Theme to bagdad=Destination |

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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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