---
title: Identify the principal reason for which the utterance "Would you min… — Kinds of sentences: statements, questi… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which the utterance "Would you mind closing the window?" does not ordinarily require the answer "yes" or "no". Exam question 2 of lesson 7 «Kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, exclamations» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the d
---

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# Exam question 2 · Kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, excla…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which the utterance "Would you mind closing the window?" does not ordinarily require the answer "yes" or "no".

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** utterance · **What happens:** identify, mind, close, not require · **To what, where:** principal reason, window, answer

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 7 «Kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, exclamations» of the language 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/language/7-kinds-of-sentences/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which the utterance "Would you mind closing the window?" does not ordinarily require the answer "yes" or "no".
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	21	advcl	_	_
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	12	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	utterance	utterance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	Would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	mind	mind	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl	_	_
13	closing	close	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	xcomp	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	1	punct	_	_
18	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	aux	_	_
19	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	21	advmod	_	_
20	ordinarily	ordinarily	ADV	RB	_	21	advmod	_	_
21	require	require	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obj	_	_
24	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	25	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	23	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	25	punct	_	_
27	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	29	cc	_	_
28	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	29	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	no	no	NOUN	NN	_	25	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	29	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	21	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | infinitive |  | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **mind** *in a quote* | would | the utterance |  |  |  |  | for the principal reason | vn care-88.1 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 3 | **close** *in a quote* | gerund | the utterance *not said here* | the window |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent window=Patient |
| 4 | **not** **require** | present · do-support |  | the answer |  |  |  | ordinarily *property* | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme answer=Precondition |

<!-- .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 is addressed to no particular person

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e2:o1:1
# text = It is addressed to no particular person
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	addressed	address	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
6	particular	particular	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **address** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  | to no particular person | vn illustrate-25.3 «NP V NP»: subject=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is grammatically defective and therefore meaningless

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e2:o2:1
# text = It is grammatically defective and therefore meaningless
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	grammatically	grammatically	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	defective	defective	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	therefore	therefore	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	meaningless	meaningless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | defective, grammatically *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  | therefore *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It functions as a courteous request for the performance of an action

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e2:o3:1
# text = It functions as a courteous request for the performance of an action
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	functions	function	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	as	as	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	courteous	courteous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	request	request	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	performance	performance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **function** | present | It |  |  |  |  | as a courteous request for the performance of a action | vn masquerade-29.6 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as request=Attribute |
| 2 | **perform** |  |  | a action |  |  |  |  | nom performance «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It constitutes a statement concerning the weather

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:7-kinds-of-sentences:e2:o4:1
# text = It constitutes a statement concerning the weather
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	constitutes	constitute	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	statement	statement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **constitute** | present | It | a statement |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme statement=Pivot |
| 2 | **concern** | gerund | a statement *not said here* | the weather |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus weather=Experiencer |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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