---
title: By what means was the stepdaughter's labour lightened, according to… — Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair… · tree and pragmatics
description: By what means was the stepdaughter's labour lightened, according to the narrative? Exam question 2 of lesson 441 «Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair, part 33: a dying mother leaves a doll, and a stepmother makes Vasilissa work» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tr
---

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# Exam question 2 · Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair, part 33: a dying m…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By what means was the stepdaughter's labour lightened, according to the narrative?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** mean, be, lighten, accord · **To what, where:** labour

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 441 «Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair, part 33: a dying mother leaves a doll, and a stepmother makes Vasilissa work» 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/441-pg22373-part33/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:441-pg22373-part33:e2:1
# text = By what means was the stepdaughter's labour lightened, according to the narrative?
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	8	obl	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	stepdaughter	stepdaughter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	labour	labour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	lightened	lighten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	according	accord	VERB	VBG	ExtPos=ADP|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	14	case	_	_
12	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	fixed	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	narrative	narrative	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past |  | the stepdaughter's labour and the narrative |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **lighten** | participle |  | the stepdaughter's labour and the narrative *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn remedy-45.7-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **accord** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 -->
Through the servants, who swept on the morrow

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:441-pg22373-part33:e2:o1:1
# text = Through the servants, who swept on the morrow
1	Through	through	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	servants	servant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	swept	sweep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	morrow	morrow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sweep** | past |  |  |  | the servants |  | on the morrow | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme through servant=Trajectory |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Through the doll, which quietly performed all her chores on the following morning

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:441-pg22373-part33:e2:o2:1
# text = Through the doll, which quietly performed all her chores on the following morning
1	Through	through	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	doll	doll	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
6	quietly	quietly	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	performed	perform	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	10	det:predet	_	_
9	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	chores	chore	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	amod	_	_
14	morning	morning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **perform** | past |  | her chores |  | the doll | morning | quietly *property* | vn performance-26.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent chore=Theme |
| 2 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Through the doll, which performed her work on the following day while she rested

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:441-pg22373-part33:e2:o3:1
# text = Through the doll, which performed her work on the following day while she rested
1	Through	through	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	doll	doll	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	performed	perform	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	amod	_	_
12	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
13	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
14	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
15	rested	rest	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **perform** | past |  | her work |  | the doll | day |  | vn performance-26.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent work=Theme |
| 2 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **rest** | past | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **work** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Through the doll, which performed her work on the following day

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:441-pg22373-part33:e2:o4:1
# text = Through the doll, which performed her work on the following day
1	Through	through	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	doll	doll	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	performed	perform	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	amod	_	_
12	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **perform** | past |  | her work |  | the doll | day |  | vn performance-26.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent work=Theme |
| 2 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **work** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: poss=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.

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- ← previous: [Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/441-pg22373-part33/e1/)
- next →: [Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/441-pg22373-part33/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales, Vasilissa the Fair, part 33: a dying mother leaves a doll, and a stepmother makes Vasilissa work](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/441-pg22373-part33/)