---
title: What did the mother describe as the hieroglyphic figures that appear… — Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Marsh King… · tree and pragmatics
description: What did the mother describe as the hieroglyphic figures that appeared within the clefts of the elder trunk? Exam question 2 of lesson 894 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Marsh King's Daughter: Helga is freed and finds her mother» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree a
---

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# Exam question 2 · Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Marsh King's Daughter: Helga i…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What did the mother describe as the hieroglyphic figures that appeared within the clefts of the elder trunk?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** mother, hieroglyphic figures · **What happens:** describe, appear

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 894 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Marsh King's Daughter: Helga is freed and finds her mother» 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/894-pg27200-part105/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:894-pg27200-part105:e2:1
# text = What did the mother describe as the hieroglyphic figures that appeared within the clefts of the elder trunk?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	describe	describe	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	as	as	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	hieroglyphic	hieroglyphic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	figures	figure	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	appeared	appear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	within	within	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	clefts	cleft	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	elder	elder	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	trunk	trunk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | past · do-support | the mother |  |  |  |  | as the hieroglyphic figures | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent what=Theme as figure=Attribute |
| 2 | **appear** | past | the hieroglyphic figures |  |  |  |  | within the clefts of the elder trunk | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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 were formed of the mummy case, and took the appearance of hieroglyphics

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:894-pg27200-part105:e2:o1:1
# text = They were formed of the mummy case, and took the appearance of hieroglyphics
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	formed	form	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	mummy	mummy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	case	case	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	took	take	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	appearance	appearance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	hieroglyphics	hieroglyphic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **form** | past · passive |  | They |  |  |  | of the mummy case | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **take** | past |  | the appearance of hieroglyphics |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent appearance=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were carved in stone by the priests.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:894-pg27200-part105:e2:o2:1
# text = They were carved in stone by the priests.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	carved	carve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	priests	priest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **carve** | past · passive | the priests | They |  | stone |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent subject=Theme in stone=Destination |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were the marks left by the frog king's claws.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:894-pg27200-part105:e2:o3:1
# text = They were the marks left by the frog king's claws.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	marks	mark	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	frog	frog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	claws	claw	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | the marks |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **leave** | participle |  | the marks *not said here* |  |  |  | by the frog king's claws | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent by claw=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were carvings of the stork's flight across the sky in the spring.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:894-pg27200-part105:e2:o4:1
# text = They were carvings of the stork's flight across the sky in the spring.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	carvings	carving	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	stork	stork	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	flight	flight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
9	across	across	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | They | carvings |  |  |  | of the stork's flight across the sky in the spring | tree rules |

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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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