---
title: Identify the principal reason for which the pursuit of an assailant… — Self-defence or just stupid? · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which the pursuit of an assailant subsequent to an attack does not constitute self-defence. Exam question 2 of lesson 377 «Self-defence or just stupid?» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of e
---

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# Exam question 2 · Self-defence or just stupid?

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which the pursuit of an assailant subsequent to an attack does not constitute self-defence.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, pursuit · **What happens:** identify, not constitute, pursue · **To what, where:** principal reason, self defence, assailant subsequent

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This is exam question 2 of lesson 377 «Self-defence or just stupid?» 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/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:377-self-defence-or-just-stupid:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which the pursuit of an assailant subsequent to an attack does not constitute self-defence.
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	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	18	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	pursuit	pursuit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	assailant	assailant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	subsequent	subsequent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	attack	attack	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
16	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
17	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	18	advmod	_	_
18	constitute	constitute	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
19	self	self	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	19	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	defence	defence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	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 | **not** **constitute** | present · do-support | the pursuit of a assailant subsequent to a attack | self defence |  |  |  | for the principal reason | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme defence=Pivot |
| 3 | **pursue** |  |  | a assailant subsequent to a attack |  |  |  |  | nom pursuit «act 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 -->
The pursuer is invariably smaller than the assailant and therefore requires protection

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:377-self-defence-or-just-stupid:e2:o1:1
# text = The pursuer is invariably smaller than the assailant and therefore requires protection
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pursuer	pursuer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	smaller	small	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
6	than	than	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	assailant	assailant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	therefore	therefore	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	requires	require	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
12	protection	protection	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the pursuer |  |  |  |  | than the assailant; invariably, small *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **require** | present | the pursuer *not said here* | protection |  |  |  | therefore *property* | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme protection=Precondition |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The assailant must first be warned in writing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:377-self-defence-or-just-stupid:e2:o2:1
# text = The assailant must first be warned in writing
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	assailant	assailant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	6	advmod	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	warned	warn	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **warn** *speech: warn* | must · passive |  | the assailant |  | writing |  | first *property* | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The danger has ceased, whereupon the act becomes retaliation

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:377-self-defence-or-just-stupid:e2:o3:1
# text = The danger has ceased, whereupon the act becomes retaliation
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	ceased	cease	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	whereupon	whereupon	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	act	act	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	becomes	become	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
10	retaliation	retaliation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cease** | present · perfect · passive |  | the danger |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: subject=Eventuality |
| 2 | **become** | present | the act | retaliation |  |  |  | whereupon *property* | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pursuit is permitted only on school premises

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:377-self-defence-or-just-stupid:e2:o4:1
# text = Pursuit is permitted only on school premises
1	Pursuit	Pursuit	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	permitted	permit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	premises	premise	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **permit** | present · passive |  | Pursuit |  | school premises |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme on premise=Location |

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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.

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