---
title: It is given that an anecdote concerning a monarch was first recorded… — Kings, queens and emperors · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that an anecdote concerning a monarch was first recorded by his adversaries a century after his death. Determine the appropriate evaluation of such an anecdote. Exam question 4 of lesson 19 «Kings, queens and emperors» of the myths course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tre
---

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# Exam question 4 · Kings, queens and emperors

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that an anecdote concerning a monarch was first recorded by his adversaries a century after his death. Determine the appropriate evaluation of such an anecdote.

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**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** anecdote, adversaries, his, you · **What happens:** give, concern, record, die, determine, evaluate · **To what, where:** It, monarch, anecdote, appropriate evaluation

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This is exam question 4 of lesson 19 «Kings, queens and emperors» of the myths 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/myths/19-kings-queens-and-emperors/#e4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that an anecdote concerning a monarch was first recorded by his adversaries a century after his death.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:e4:1
# text = It is given that an anecdote concerning a monarch was first recorded by his adversaries a century after his death.
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	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	anecdote	anecdote	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	monarch	monarch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
11	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	12	advmod	_	_
12	recorded	record	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
13	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	adversaries	adversary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	century	century	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod:unmarked	_	_
18	after	after	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	20	nmod:poss	_	_
20	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **concern** | gerund | a anecdote *not said here* | a monarch |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus monarch=Experiencer |
| 3 | **record** | past · passive | his adversaries  a century | a anecdote |  |  | after his death | first *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 4 | **die** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom death «event intransitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Determine the appropriate evaluation of such an anecdote.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:e4:2
# text = Determine the appropriate evaluation of such an anecdote.
1	Determine	determine	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	appropriate	appropriate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	evaluation	evaluation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	such	such	DET	PDT	PronType=Ind	8	det:predet	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	anecdote	anecdote	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **determine** | imperative | you *not said here* | the appropriate evaluation of such anecdote |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent evaluation=Topic |
| 2 | **evaluate** |  |  | such anecdote |  |  |  |  | nom evaluation «act transitive»: of=patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It constitutes weak evidence and requires corroboration

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:e4:o1:1
# text = It constitutes weak evidence and requires corroboration
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	weak	weak	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	evidence	evidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	requires	require	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	corroboration	corroboration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **constitute** | present | It | weak evidence |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme evidence=Pivot |
| 2 | **require** | present |  | corroboration |  |  |  |  | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme corroboration=Precondition |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It constitutes conclusive proof by reason of its antiquity

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:e4:o2:1
# text = It constitutes conclusive proof by reason of its antiquity
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	conclusive	conclusive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	proof	proof	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	antiquity	antiquity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **constitute** | present | It | conclusive proof |  |  |  | by reason of reason's antiquity | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme proof=Pivot |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It must be presumed true unless disproved

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:e4:o3:1
# text = It must be presumed true unless disproved
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	presumed	presume	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	xcomp	_	_
6	unless	unless	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
7	disproved	disprove	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **presume** | must · passive |  | It |  |  |  | true *property* | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **disprove** *a condition, not said to happen* | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It must be presumed to state the opposite of the truth

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:e4:o4:1
# text = It must be presumed to state the opposite of the truth
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	presumed	presume	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	state	state	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	opposite	opposite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **presume** | must · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **state** *speech: other* | to-infinitive |  | the opposite of the truth |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent opposite=Topic |

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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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