---
title: What is the principal characteristic of the china chimney-sweep, as… — Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Shadow: th… · tree and pragmatics
description: What is the principal characteristic of the china chimney-sweep, as described in the closing passage? Exam question 4 of lesson 973 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Shadow: the shadow wins the princess, the learned man is executed» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree a
---

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# Exam question 4 · Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Shadow: the shadow wins the pr…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What is the principal characteristic of the china chimney-sweep, as described in the closing passage?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** principal characteristic · **What happens:** be, describe · **To what, where:** china chimney sweep, closing passage

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 973 «Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Shadow: the shadow wins the princess, the learned man is executed» 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/973-pg27200-part184/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:973-pg27200-part184:e4:1
# text = What is the principal characteristic of the china chimney-sweep, as described in the closing passage?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	characteristic	characteristic	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
8	china	china	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
9	chimney	chimney	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	sweep	sweep	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
13	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
14	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	closing	closing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	compound	_	_
18	passage	passage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the principal characteristic of the china chimney sweep |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **describe** | participle |  | the china chimney sweep *not said here* |  | the closing passage |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His face is black

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:973-pg27200-part184:e4:o1:1
# text = His face is black
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	face	face	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | His face |  |  |  |  | black *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His clothes are plain and his shoes worn

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:973-pg27200-part184:e4:o2:1
# text = His clothes are plain and his shoes worn
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	clothes	clothes	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	4	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	plain	plain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	shoes	shoe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	conj	_	_
8	worn	wear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | His clothes |  |  |  |  | plain *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **wear** | participle |  | his shoes *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V PP-Conative»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His face is fair and rosy, contrary to his trade

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:973-pg27200-part184:e4:o3:1
# text = His face is fair and rosy, contrary to his trade
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	face	face	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	rosy	rosy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	contrary	contrary	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	trade	trade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | His face |  |  |  |  | fair *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | His face *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  | His face *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to his trade | tree rules |
| 4 | **trade** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom trade «act transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His hat is tall and his coat is torn

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:973-pg27200-part184:e4:o4:1
# text = His hat is tall and his coat is torn
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	hat	hat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	tall	tall	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	coat	coat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	torn	tear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | His hat |  |  |  |  | tall *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **tear** | present · passive |  | his coat |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme |

<!-- 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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