---
title: What was the principal cause of Ralph's ship being wrecked on the ro… — Book of Tales, The Inchcape Rock: Ralp… · tree and pragmatics
description: What was the principal cause of Ralph's ship being wrecked on the rock? Exam question 3 of lesson 357 «Book of Tales, The Inchcape Rock: Ralph the Rover cuts the abbot's buoy bell and his own ship is wrecked on the rock» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and prag
---

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# Exam question 3 · Book of Tales, The Inchcape Rock: Ralph the Rover cuts the…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What was the principal cause of Ralph's ship being wrecked on the rock?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** be, wreck · **To what, where:** principal cause, ship, rock

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 357 «Book of Tales, The Inchcape Rock: Ralph the Rover cuts the abbot's buoy bell and his own ship is wrecked on the rock» 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/357-pg18442-part17/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:357-pg18442-part17:e3:1
# text = What was the principal cause of Ralph's ship being wrecked on the rock?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|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	cause	cause	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	Ralph	Ralph	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	ship	ship	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	wrecked	wreck	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
12	on	on	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the principal cause |  |  |  | of Ralph's ship | tree rules |
| 2 | **wreck** | gerund · passive |  | Ralph's ship *not said here* |  | the rock |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP» |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He sailed into a storm with no lights aboard.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:357-pg18442-part17:e3:o1:1
# text = He sailed into a storm with no lights aboard.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sailed	sail	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	storm	storm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	8	det	_	_
8	lights	light	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
9	aboard	aboard	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sail** | past | He |  |  | a storm |  | with no lights; aboard *property* | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent into storm=Trajectory |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A storm drove his ship onto the sandbar at night.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:357-pg18442-part17:e3:o2:1
# text = A storm drove his ship onto the sandbar at night.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	storm	storm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	drove	drive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	ship	ship	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	onto	onto	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	sandbar	sandbar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **drive** | past | a storm | storm's ship |  | the sandbar | night |  | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2-1 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent ship=Theme onto sandbar=Trajectory |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He struck the rock in fog, having no bell to warn him.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:357-pg18442-part17:e3:o3:1
# text = He struck the rock in fog, having no bell to warn him.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	struck	strike	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	fog	fog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	having	have	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
9	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	10	det	_	_
10	bell	bell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	warn	warn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	advcl	_	_
13	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strike** | past | He | the rock |  | fog |  |  | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rock=Patient |
| 2 | **have** | gerund | He *not said here* | no bell |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bell=Patient |
| 3 | **warn** *speech: warn* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* |  | him *= he* |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent he=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He struck the rock in dense fog, having no bell to warn him, after cutting the buoy loose.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:357-pg18442-part17:e3:o4:1
# text = He struck the rock in dense fog, having no bell to warn him, after cutting the buoy loose.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	struck	strike	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	dense	dense	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	fog	fog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	having	have	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
10	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
11	bell	bell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	warn	warn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	advcl	_	_
14	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
17	cutting	cut	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	13	advcl	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	buoy	buoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	_
20	loose	loose	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strike** | past | He | the rock |  | dense fog |  |  | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rock=Patient |
| 2 | **have** | gerund | He *not said here* | no bell |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bell=Patient |
| 3 | **warn** *speech: warn* | to-infinitive | He *not said here* |  | him *= he* |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent he=Recipient |
| 4 | **cut** | gerund | He *not said here* | the buoy |  |  |  | loose *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset buoy=Product |

<!-- 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: [Book of Tales, The Inchcape Rock: Ralp…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/357-pg18442-part17/e2/)
- next →: [Book of Tales, The Inchcape Rock: Ralp…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/357-pg18442-part17/e4/)
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