---
title: Ascertain the purpose for which, according to Genesis, the Tower of… — Noah and the Tower of Babel · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the purpose for which, according to Genesis, the Tower of Babel was undertaken. Exam question 4 of lesson 3 «Noah and the Tower of Babel» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was ri
---

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# Exam question 4 · Noah and the Tower of Babel

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the purpose for which, according to Genesis, the Tower of Babel was undertaken.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain, accord, undertake · **To what, where:** purpose, Genesis

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 3 «Noah and the Tower of Babel» of the religion ethics 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/religion-ethics/3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the purpose for which, according to Genesis, the Tower of Babel was undertaken.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	according	accord	VERB	VBG	ExtPos=ADP|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	case	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	fixed	_	_
9	Genesis	Genesis	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nsubj:pass	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	Tower	Tower	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	Babel	Babel	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
15	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux:pass	_	_
16	undertaken	undertake	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the purpose |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent purpose=Topic |
| 2 | **accord** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **undertake** | past · passive |  | Genesis and the Tower of Babel |  |  |  | for the purpose | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the languages of the nations might be preserved for all generations

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:e4:o1:1
# text = That the languages of the nations might be preserved for all generations
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	nsubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	languages	language	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	nations	nation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
7	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
8	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	preserved	preserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
12	generations	generation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **preserve** | might · passive |  | the languages of the nations |  |  | for all generations |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: subject=Beneficiary |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That its builders might take refuge from the deluge should it return again

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:e4:o2:1
# text = That its builders might take refuge from the deluge should it return again
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	nsubj	_	_
2	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	builders	builder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
4	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	refuge	refuge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	deluge	deluge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	return	return	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	parataxis	_	_
13	again	again	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | might | That | refuge |  | the deluge |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP PP.initial\_location»: agent=Agent refuge=Theme from deluge=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **return** | should | refuge |  |  |  | again |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That its builders might reach heaven and make a name for themselves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:e4:o3:1
# text = That its builders might reach heaven and make a name for themselves
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	nsubj	_	_
2	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	builders	builder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
4	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	reach	reach	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	heaven	heaven	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	themselves	themselves	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reach** | might | That | heaven |  |  |  |  | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Agent heaven=Theme |
| 2 | **make** | infinitive | That *not said here* | a name |  |  |  | for builders *= builder* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP P.asset»: agent=Agent name=Product for themselves=Asset |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That grain might be stored therein against a famine of seven years' duration

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:3-noah-and-the-tower-of-babel:e4:o4:1
# text = That grain might be stored therein against a famine of seven years' duration
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	grain	grain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	stored	store	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	therein	therein	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	against	against	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	famine	famine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
11	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
12	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	'	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	duration	duration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **store** | might · passive |  | that grain |  | a famine of seven years's duration |  | therein *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme against famine=Location |

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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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