---
title: A film shows Nero playing a violin while Rome burns. What is wrong w… — Kings, queens and emperors · tree and pragmatics
description: A film shows Nero playing a violin while Rome burns. What is wrong with the scene? Test 2 of lesson 19 «Kings, queens and emperors» of the myths course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Test 2 · Kings, queens and emperors

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A film shows Nero playing a violin while Rome burns. What is wrong with the scene?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** film, Rome · **What happens:** show, play, burn, be · **To what, where:** Nero, violin

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 of lesson 19 «Kings, queens and emperors» of the myths 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/myths/19-kings-queens-and-emperors/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A film shows Nero playing a violin while Rome burns.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t2:1
# text = A film shows Nero playing a violin while Rome burns.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	film	film	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	shows	show	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	Nero	Nero	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	playing	play	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	violin	violin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
9	Rome	Rome	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	burns	burn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | present | a film | Nero |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent nero=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **play** | gerund | a film *not said here* | a violin |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent violin=Theme |
| 3 | **burn** | present | Rome |  |  |  |  |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP.location V PP.theme»: agent=Location |

<!-- .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:* What is wrong with the scene?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t2:2
# text = What is wrong with the scene?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	scene	scene	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | with the scene; wrong *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He should be playing it in a different part of Rome

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t2:o1:1
# text = He should be playing it in a different part of Rome
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	playing	play	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Rome	Rome	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **play** | should · progressive | He | it |  | a different part of Rome |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing, the film is exactly like the history books say it happened

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t2:o2:1
# text = Nothing, the film is exactly like the history books say it happened
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	film	film	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
6	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
7	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	books	book	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
11	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
13	happened	happen	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the history books | the film *not said here* |  |  |  | exactly, say *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **happen** | past | Nothing |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Violins did not exist then, and Tacitus says he was away

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t2:o3:1
# text = Violins did not exist then, and Tacitus says he was away
1	Violins	violin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	exist	exist	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	Tacitus	Tacitus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
10	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	away	away	ADV	RB	_	9	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **exist** | past · do-support | Violins |  |  |  | then |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Tacitus |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | past | Tacitus |  |  |  |  | away *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It should be a guitar, which the Romans loved

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:19-kings-queens-and-emperors:t2:o4:1
# text = It should be a guitar, which the Romans loved
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	guitar	guitar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	obj	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Romans	Roman	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
10	loved	love	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | should | It | a guitar |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **love** | past | the Romans | a guitar |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer which=Stimulus |

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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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