---
title: Which of the following best characterises the conduct of the milder… — English Fairy Tales, The Children in t… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following best characterises the conduct of the milder ruffian toward his companion within the wood? Exam question 4 of lesson 252 «English Fairy Tales, The Children in the Wood: the uncle's wicked plot and the lost babes» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependenc
---

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# Exam question 4 · English Fairy Tales, The Children in the Wood: the uncle's…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following best characterises the conduct of the milder ruffian toward his companion within the wood?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** best · **What happens:** follow, characteris, conduct · **To what, where:** conduct, milder ruffian

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 252 «English Fairy Tales, The Children in the Wood: the uncle's wicked plot and the lost babes» 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/252-pg14241-part19/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:252-pg14241-part19:e4:1
# text = Which of the following best characterises the conduct of the milder ruffian toward his companion within the wood?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	obj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	case	_	_
5	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	6	nsubj	_	_
6	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	conduct	conduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	milder	mild	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	12	amod	_	_
12	ruffian	ruffian	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
13	toward	toward	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	companion	companion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
16	within	within	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	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 | **characteris** | present | the best | the conduct of the milder ruffian toward his companion |  |  |  | within the wood | tree rules |
| 3 | **conduct** |  |  | the milder ruffian toward his companion |  |  |  |  | nom conduct «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
He slew him, having been moved to mildness

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:252-pg14241-part19:e4:o1:1
# text = He slew him, having been moved to mildness
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	slew	slay	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	aux	_	_
6	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	moved	move	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	conj	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	mildness	mildness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slay** | past | He | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn murder-42.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |
| 2 | **move** | gerund · perfect · passive | He *not said here* |  |  | mildness |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: to mildness=Trajectory |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He robbed him, having been moved by greed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:252-pg14241-part19:e4:o2:1
# text = He robbed him, having been moved by greed
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	robbed	rob	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	aux	_	_
6	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	moved	move	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	conj	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	greed	greed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rob** | past | He | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn cheat-10.6.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Source |
| 2 | **move** | gerund · perfect · passive | greed |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He slew him at once, having first been moved to mildness by the children's plea and the sight of their suffering

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:252-pg14241-part19:e4:o3:1
# text = He slew him at once, having first been moved to mildness by the children's plea and the sight of their suffering
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	slew	slay	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	aux	_	_
8	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	10	advmod	_	_
9	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	moved	move	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	parataxis	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	mildness	mildness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
13	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	's	PART	POS	_	15	case	_	_
17	plea	plea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	sight	sight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	_
21	of	of	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	23	nmod:poss	_	_
23	suffering	suffering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slay** | past | He | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn murder-42.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Patient |
| 2 | **move** | gerund · perfect · passive | the children's plea and the sight of plea's suffering |  |  | mildness |  | first *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme to mildness=Trajectory |
| 3 | **sight** |  |  | plea's suffering |  |  |  |  | nom sight «cognition transitive»: of=patient |
| 4 | **suffer** |  | plea |  |  |  |  |  | nom suffering «state intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He fought him

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:252-pg14241-part19:e4:o4:1
# text = He fought him
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	fought	fight	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fight** | past | He | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn battle-36.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Co-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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