--- title: What is the principal reason the fool wishes to acquire a pottle of… — English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brain… · tree and pragmatics description: What is the principal reason the fool wishes to acquire a pottle of brains? Exam question 2 of lesson 253 «English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brains, part 20: the Hobyahs are beaten, the fool's mother dies, and a lass offers to help him» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependenc --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/253-pg14241-part20/e2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/) / [English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brain…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/253-pg14241-part20/) / e2 # Exam question 2 · English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brains, part 20: the Hoby… What is the principal reason the fool wishes to acquire a pottle of brains? **Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** fool · **What happens:** be, wish, acquire · **To what, where:** principal reason, pottle This is exam question 2 of lesson 253 «English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brains, part 20: the Hobyahs are beaten, the fool's mother dies, and a lass offers to help him» 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/253-pg14241-part20/#e2). ## The question {#question} ```conllu # sent_id = question:books:253-pg14241-part20:e2:1 # text = What is the principal reason the fool wishes to acquire a pottle of brains? 1 What what PRON WP PronType=Int 5 nsubj _ _ 2 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 5 cop _ _ 3 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 5 det _ _ 4 principal principal ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 5 amod _ _ 5 reason reason NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ 6 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 7 det _ _ 7 fool fool NOUN NN Number=Sing 8 nsubj _ _ 8 wishes wish VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 5 acl:relcl _ _ 9 to to PART TO _ 10 mark _ _ 10 acquire acquire VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 8 xcomp _ _ 11 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 12 det _ _ 12 pottle pottle NOUN NN Number=Sing 10 obj _ _ 13 of of ADP IN _ 14 case _ _ 14 brains brain NOUN NNS Number=Plur 12 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 15 ? ? PUNCT . _ 5 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | | the principal reason | | | | | tree rules | | 2 | **wish** | present | the fool | the principal reason *not said here* | | | | | tree rules | | 3 | **acquire** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the fool *not said here* | a pottle of brains | | | | | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset pottle=Theme | 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} He is repeatedly ridiculed for his foolishness ```conllu # sent_id = question:books:253-pg14241-part20:e2:o1:1 # text = He is repeatedly ridiculed for his foolishness 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 4 nsubj _ _ 2 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 4 aux:pass _ _ 3 repeatedly repeatedly ADV RB _ 4 advmod _ _ 4 ridiculed ridicule VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 0 root _ _ 5 for for ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 6 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 7 nmod:poss _ _ 7 foolishness foolishness NOUN NN Number=Sing 4 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **ridicule** | present · passive | | He | | | | for his foolishness; repeatedly *property* | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: subject=Theme for foolishness=Attribute | ### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2} He wants to be wise ```conllu # sent_id = question:books:253-pg14241-part20:e2:o2:1 # text = He wants to be wise 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 2 nsubj _ _ 2 wants want VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 3 to to PART TO _ 5 mark _ _ 4 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 5 cop _ _ 5 wise wise ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 2 xcomp _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **want** | present | He | | | | | | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Pivot | | 2 | **is** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | | | | | wise *property* | tree rules | ### Option 3 {#o3} He is always teased for being silly ```conllu # sent_id = question:books:253-pg14241-part20:e2:o3:1 # text = He is always teased for being silly 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 4 nsubj:pass _ _ 2 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 4 aux:pass _ _ 3 always always ADV RB PronType=Tot 4 advmod _ _ 4 teased tease VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 0 root _ _ 5 for for ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 6 being be AUX VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 7 cop _ _ 7 silly silly ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 4 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **tease** | present · passive | | He | | | | always *property* | vn bully-59.5 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient | | 2 | **is** | gerund | | | | | | silly *property* | tree rules | ### Option 4 {#o4} He wants to be like his mam ```conllu # sent_id = question:books:253-pg14241-part20:e2:o4:1 # text = He wants to be like his mam 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 2 nsubj _ _ 2 wants want VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 3 to to PART TO _ 7 mark _ _ 4 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 7 cop _ _ 5 like like ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 6 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 7 nmod:poss _ _ 7 mam mam NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 ccomp _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **want** | present | He | | | | | | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot | | 2 | **is** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | | | | | like his mam | tree rules | **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. - ← previous: [English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brain…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/253-pg14241-part20/e1/) - next →: [English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brain…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/253-pg14241-part20/e3/) - ↑ back to [English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brains, part 20: the Hobyahs are beaten, the fool's mother dies, and a lass offers to help him](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/253-pg14241-part20/)