---
title: Identify the principal distinction between a theatrical magic perfor… — The magician's trick explained · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal distinction between a theatrical magic performance and a confidence trick. Exam question 1 of lesson 448 «The magician's trick explained» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice 
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/448-the-magicians-trick-explained/e1/)

<!-- 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/) / [The magician's trick explained](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/448-the-magicians-trick-explained/) / e1

# Exam question 1 · The magician's trick explained

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal distinction between a theatrical magic performance and a confidence trick.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify · **To what, where:** principal distinction

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 448 «The magician's trick explained» 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/448-the-magicians-trick-explained/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:448-the-magicians-trick-explained:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal distinction between a theatrical magic performance and a confidence trick.
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	distinction	distinction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	between	between	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
7	theatrical	theatrical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
8	magic	magic	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	performance	performance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	confidence	confidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	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 distinction |  |  |  | between a theatrical magic performance and a confidence trick | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent distinction=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 -->
The audience consents to be deceived and nothing is retained by the performer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:448-the-magicians-trick-explained:e1:o1:1
# text = The audience consents to be deceived and nothing is retained by the performer
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	audience	audience	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	consents	consent	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	deceived	deceive	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	xcomp	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	retained	retain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	conj	_	_
11	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	performer	performer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consent** | present | the audience |  |  |  |  |  | vn acquiesce-95.1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **deceive** | to-infinitive · passive | the audience *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP» |
| 3 | **retain** | present · passive | the performer | nothing |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The magician invariably performs without remuneration, whereas the confidence trickster is paid

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:448-the-magicians-trick-explained:e1:o2:1
# text = The magician invariably performs without remuneration, whereas the confidence trickster is paid
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	magician	magician	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	performs	perform	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	without	without	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	remuneration	remuneration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
8	whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	confidence	confidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	trickster	trickster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux:pass	_	_
13	paid	pay	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 | **perform** | present | the magician |  |  |  |  | without remuneration; invariably *property* | vn performance-26.7 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **pay** | present · passive |  | the confidence trickster |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Asset |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No distinction can be drawn between them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:448-the-magicians-trick-explained:e1:o3:1
# text = No distinction can be drawn between them
1	No	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	2	det	_	_
2	distinction	distinction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	drawn	draw	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	between	between	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **draw** | can · passive |  | no distinction |  |  |  | between them *= they* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The confidence trickster invariably works alone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:448-the-magicians-trick-explained:e1:o4:1
# text = The confidence trickster invariably works alone
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	confidence	confidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	trickster	trickster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **work** | present | the confidence trickster |  |  |  |  | alone, invariably *property* | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- 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: [The magician's trick explained, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/448-the-magicians-trick-explained/t11/)
- next →: [The magician's trick explained, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/448-the-magicians-trick-explained/e2/)
- ↑ back to [The magician's trick explained](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/448-the-magicians-trick-explained/)