---
title: Identify the principal function of the numbering of steps in a set o… — Reading non-fiction: recount, instruct… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal function of the numbering of steps in a set of instructions. Exam question 2 of lesson 23 «Reading non-fiction: recount, instructions, report» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's cho
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/e2/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/) / [Reading non-fiction: recount, instruct…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/) / e2

# Exam question 2 · Reading non-fiction: recount, instructions, report

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal function of the numbering of steps in a set of instructions.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify, number · **To what, where:** principal function, steps

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 23 «Reading non-fiction: recount, instructions, report» of the English 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/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal function of the numbering of steps in a set of instructions.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	numbering	numbering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	steps	step	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	set	set	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	instructions	instruction	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal function of the numbering of steps in a set of instructions |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent function=Theme |
| 2 | **number** |  |  | steps in a set of instructions |  |  |  |  | nom numbering «communication transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
To decorate the page

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report:e2:o1:1
# text = To decorate the page
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	decorate	decorate	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	page	page	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decorate** | to-infinitive |  | the page |  |  |  |  | vn illustrate-25.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent page=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To enumerate the ingredients required for the recipe in order of their weight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report:e2:o2:1
# text = To enumerate the ingredients required for the recipe in order of their weight
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	enumerate	enumerate	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ingredients	ingredient	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	recipe	recipe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **enumerate** | to-infinitive |  | the ingredients |  | order of ingredients's weight |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **require** | participle |  | the ingredients *not said here* |  |  |  | for the recipe | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **order** |  |  | ingredients's weight |  |  |  |  | nom order «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To ensure that the steps are performed in the correct sequence

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report:e2:o3:1
# text = To ensure that the steps are performed in the correct sequence
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	ensure	ensure	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	steps	step	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	performed	perform	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	ccomp	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	correct	correct	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	sequence	sequence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ensure** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn ensure-99 «NP V that S»: agent=Precondition clause=Theme |
| 2 | **perform** | present · passive |  | the steps |  | the correct sequence |  |  | vn performance-26.7 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To indicate the cost of each step

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report:e2:o4:1
# text = To indicate the cost of each step
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	indicate	indicate	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	cost	cost	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	det	_	_
7	step	step	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | to-infinitive |  | the cost of each step |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot cost=Topic |
| 2 | **cost** |  |  | each step |  |  |  |  | nom cost «possession transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Reading non-fiction: recount, instruct…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/e1/)
- next →: [Reading non-fiction: recount, instruct…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Reading non-fiction: recount, instructions, report](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/)