---
title: Which of the following best characterises the function of the daught… — Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Little Mer… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following best characterises the function of the daughters of the air as described by their own speech in the text? Exam question 4 of lesson 881 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Little Mermaid: the mermaid refuses the knife and rises among the daughters of the air» of the books course of M
---

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# Exam question 4 · Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Little Mermaid: the mermaid re…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following best characterises the function of the daughters of the air as described by their own speech in the text?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** best, daughters · **What happens:** follow, characteris, describe, speak · **To what, where:** function, text · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 881 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Little Mermaid: the mermaid refuses the knife and rises among the daughters of the air» 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/881-pg27200-part92/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:881-pg27200-part92:e4:1
# text = Which of the following best characterises the function of the daughters of the air as described by their own speech in the text?
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	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	daughters	daughter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
15	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
16	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
17	by	by	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
18	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	20	nmod:poss	_	_
19	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
21	in	in	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	text	text	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	?	?	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 function of the daughters of the air |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **describe** | participle | the best *not said here* |  |  |  |  | by daughters's own speech in the text | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **speak** |  | daughters *= daughter* |  |  | the text |  |  | nom speech «communication transitive»: poss=agent in=place |

<!-- .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 -->
They strive through benevolent acts to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:881-pg27200-part92:e4:o1:1
# text = They strive through benevolent acts to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	strive	strive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	through	through	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	benevolent	benevolent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	acts	act	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	acquire	acquire	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	immortal	immortal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	soul	soul	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	over	over	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	prescribed	prescribe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	amod	_	_
14	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strive** | present | They |  |  | benevolent acts |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **acquire** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | a immortal soul |  | a prescribed period |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset soul=Theme |
| 3 | **prescribe** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They strive through many benevolent acts in warm lands to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period of time

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:881-pg27200-part92:e4:o2:1
# text = They strive through many benevolent acts in warm lands to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period of time
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	strive	strive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	through	through	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	benevolent	benevolent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	acts	act	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	warm	warm	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	lands	land	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	acquire	acquire	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
12	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	immortal	immortal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	soul	soul	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
15	over	over	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	prescribed	prescribe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	18	amod	_	_
18	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strive** | present | They |  |  | many benevolent acts in warm lands |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **acquire** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | a immortal soul |  | a prescribed period of time |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset soul=Theme |
| 3 | **prescribe** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They seek through charity to win an eternal soul in due course

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:881-pg27200-part92:e4:o3:1
# text = They seek through charity to win an eternal soul in due course
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	seek	seek	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	through	through	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	charity	charity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	win	win	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	eternal	eternal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	soul	soul	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	due	due	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | present | They |  |  | charity |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V PP.theme PP.location»: agent=Agent through charity=Location |
| 2 | **win** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | a eternal soul |  | due course |  |  | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent soul=Eventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They strive through benevolent acts to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period of three hundred years

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:881-pg27200-part92:e4:o4:1
# text = They strive through benevolent acts to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period of three hundred years
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	strive	strive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	through	through	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	benevolent	benevolent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	acts	act	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	acquire	acquire	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	immortal	immortal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	soul	soul	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	over	over	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	prescribed	prescribe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	amod	_	_
14	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	17	compound	_	_
17	hundred	hundred	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	18	nummod	_	_
18	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **strive** | present | They |  |  | benevolent acts |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **acquire** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | a immortal soul |  | a prescribed period of hundred years |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset soul=Theme |
| 3 | **prescribe** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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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