---
title: Identify the principal reason why the pupil Sam was prudent in decli… — Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason why the pupil Sam was prudent in declining to enter the building site. Exam question 2 of lesson 367 «Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's 
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels/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/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/) / [Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels/) / e2

# Exam question 2 · Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason why the pupil Sam was prudent in declining to enter the building site.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, pupil · **What happens:** identify, be, decline, not enter · **To what, where:** principal reason, building site

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 367 «Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels» of the everyday 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/everyday/367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason why the pupil Sam was prudent in declining to enter the building site.
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	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	pupil	pupil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
8	Sam	Sam	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	appos	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	prudent	prudent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	parataxis	_	_
11	in	in	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	declining	decline	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	advcl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	enter	enter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	building	building	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	site	site	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | the pupil |  |  |  |  | prudent *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **decline** | gerund | the pupil *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 4 | **not** **enter** | to-infinitive | the pupil *not said here* | the building site |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme site=Destination |

<!-- .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 -->
The fence had been recently painted

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels:e2:o1:1
# text = The fence had been recently painted
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fence	fence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	6	aux:pass	_	_
5	recently	recently	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	painted	paint	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **paint** | past · perfect · passive |  | the fence |  |  |  | recently *property* | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination»: subject=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Construction sites are open to the public at weekends

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels:e2:o2:1
# text = Construction sites are open to the public at weekends
1	Construction	construction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	sites	site	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	open	open	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	public	public	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	weekends	weekend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Construction sites |  |  |  | weekend | to the public; open *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His companions were unwilling to accompany him over the fence at that hour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels:e2:o3:1
# text = His companions were unwilling to accompany him over the fence at that hour
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	companions	companion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	unwilling	unwill	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	accompany	accompany	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	over	over	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	fence	fence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	13	det	_	_
13	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **unwill** | past · progressive | His companions |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **accompany** | to-infinitive | His companions *not said here* | him *= he* |  | the fence | hour |  | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent he=Theme over fence=Destination |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Building sites present serious hazards and are prohibited

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels:e2:o4:1
# text = Building sites present serious hazards and are prohibited
1	Building	building	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	sites	site	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	present	present	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	serious	serious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	hazards	hazard	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	prohibited	prohibit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **present** | present | Building sites | serious hazards |  |  |  |  | vn fulfilling-13.4.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent hazard=Theme |
| 2 | **prohibit** | present · passive | Building sites *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V S\_ING» |

<!-- 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: [Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels/e1/)
- next →: [Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Wimp, scaredy-cat and other labels](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/367-wimp-scaredy-cat-and-other-labels/)