---
title: Why did the Portuguese want to capture Malacca in 1511? — Straits: Bosporus, Gibraltar, Malacca,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why did the Portuguese want to capture Malacca in 1511? Test 4 · ★★ of lesson 19 «Straits: Bosporus, Gibraltar, Malacca, Hormuz and the other narrow doors» of the geography course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was 
---

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# Test 4 · ★★ · Straits: Bosporus, Gibraltar, Malacca, Hormuz and the othe…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why did the Portuguese want to capture Malacca in 1511?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Portuguese · **What happens:** do, want, capture · **To what, where:** Malacca, 1511

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★★ of lesson 19 «Straits: Bosporus, Gibraltar, Malacca, Hormuz and the other narrow doors» of the geography course of Mova's primary school. 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/geography/19-straits-the-narrow-doors/#t4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:19-straits-the-narrow-doors:t4:1
# text = Why did the Portuguese want to capture Malacca in 1511?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Portuguese	portuguese	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	nsubj	_	_
5	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	capture	capture	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	Malacca	Malacca	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	1511	1511	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **want** | present | the Portuguese |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **capture** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the Portuguese *not said here* | Malacca |  | 1511 |  |  | vn steal-10.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent malacca=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was the only good harbour on the whole east coast of Africa for ships

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:19-straits-the-narrow-doors:t4:o1:1
# text = It was the only good harbour on the whole east coast of Africa for ships
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	harbour	harbour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
9	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
10	east	east	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	coast	coast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	Africa	Africa	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	ships	ship	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | It | the only good harbour |  | the whole east coast of Africa |  | for ships | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was the capital of the Chinese emperor and the richest and biggest city in all of China

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:19-straits-the-narrow-doors:t4:o2:1
# text = It was the capital of the Chinese emperor and the richest and biggest city in all of China
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	capital	capital	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	Chinese	Chinese	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	emperor	emperor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
11	richest	rich	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	14	amod	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	biggest	big	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	14	amod	_	_
14	city	city	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	14	nmod	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	China	China	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | It | the capital and the richest biggest city in all of China |  |  |  | of the Chinese emperor | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It had the biggest gold mine in Asia, worked by thousands of miners

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:19-straits-the-narrow-doors:t4:o3:1
# text = It had the biggest gold mine in Asia, worked by thousands of miners
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	biggest	big	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	6	amod	_	_
5	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	mine	mine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	Asia	Asia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	worked	work	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
11	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	thousands	thousand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	miners	miner	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | It | the biggest gold mine |  | Asia |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mine=Patient |
| 2 | **work** | participle |  | the biggest gold mine *not said here* |  |  |  | by thousands of miners | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It controlled a narrow, busy sea route for the spice trade between two oceans

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:19-straits-the-narrow-doors:t4:o4:1
# text = It controlled a narrow, busy sea route for the spice trade between two oceans
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	controlled	control	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
4	narrow	narrow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	busy	busy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	route	route	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	spice	spice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	trade	trade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
13	between	between	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	15	nummod	_	_
15	oceans	ocean	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **control** | past | It | a narrow busy sea route |  |  |  | for the spice trade between two oceans | vn enforce-63 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent route=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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