---
title: Identify the principal reason for which a body of soldiers is instru… — Swings and pendulums · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which a body of soldiers is instructed to break step upon crossing a bridge. Exam question 2 of lesson 10 «Swings and pendulums» of the physics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice
---

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# Exam question 2 · Swings and pendulums

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which a body of soldiers is instructed to break step upon crossing a bridge.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify, instruct, break, cross · **To what, where:** principal reason, body, step, bridge

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 10 «Swings and pendulums» of the physics 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/physics/10-swings-and-pendulums/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:10-swings-and-pendulums:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which a body of soldiers is instructed to break step upon crossing a bridge.
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	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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	soldiers	soldier	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	break	break	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	xcomp	_	_
15	step	step	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
16	upon	upon	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
17	crossing	cross	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	14	advcl	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **instruct** *speech: other* | present · passive |  | a body of soldiers |  |  |  | for the principal reason | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP how S\_INF»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 3 | **break** | to-infinitive |  | step |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer step=Patient |
| 4 | **cross** | gerund |  | a bridge |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bridge=Patient |

<!-- .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 -->
Regular impulses matching the natural rhythm of the bridge could increase its oscillation

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:10-swings-and-pendulums:e2:o1:1
# text = Regular impulses matching the natural rhythm of the bridge could increase its oscillation
1	Regular	regular	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	impulses	impulse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
3	matching	match	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	natural	natural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	rhythm	rhythm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	increase	increase	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	oscillation	oscillation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **match** | gerund | Regular impulses *not said here* | the natural rhythm of the bridge |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rhythm=Patient |
| 2 | **increase** | could | Regular impulses | bridge's oscillation |  |  |  |  | vn caused\_calibratable\_cos-45.6.2-1 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Causer oscillation=Patient |
| 3 | **oscillate** |  | bridge |  |  |  |  |  | nom oscillation «process intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Marching renders the soldiers heavier upon the bridge

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:10-swings-and-pendulums:e2:o2:1
# text = Marching renders the soldiers heavier upon the bridge
1	Marching	march	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	amod	_	_
2	renders	render	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	soldiers	soldier	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
5	heavier	heavy	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
6	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **march** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The noise of marching disturbs the inhabitants nearby

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:10-swings-and-pendulums:e2:o3:1
# text = The noise of marching disturbs the inhabitants nearby
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	noise	noise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	marching	marching	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	disturbs	disturb	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	inhabitants	inhabitant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	nearby	nearby	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **disturb** | present | the noise of marching | the inhabitants |  |  |  | nearby *property* | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus inhabitant=Experiencer |
| 2 | **noise** |  | marching |  |  |  |  |  | nom noise «event intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tread of soldiers wears away the surface of the bridge

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:10-swings-and-pendulums:e2:o4:1
# text = The tread of soldiers wears away the surface of the bridge
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tread	tread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	soldiers	soldier	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
5	wears	wear	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	away	away	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wear away** | present | the tread of soldiers | the surface of the bridge |  |  |  | away *property* | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.source»: agent=Agent surface=Source |
| 2 | **tread** |  | soldiers |  |  |  |  |  | nom tread «act intransitive»: of=agent |

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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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