---
title: Identify the principal reason for which a railway train requires a c… — Trains and the Underground · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which a railway train requires a considerable distance in order to come to a halt. Exam question 1 of lesson 21 «Trains and the Underground» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option
---

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# Exam question 1 · Trains and the Underground

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which a railway train requires a considerable distance in order to come to a halt.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, railway train · **What happens:** identify, require, come · **To what, where:** principal reason, considerable distance, order, halt

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 21 «Trains and the Underground» of the technology 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/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which a railway train requires a considerable distance in order to come to a halt.
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	10	obl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	railway	railway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	train	train	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	requires	require	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	considerable	considerable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	distance	distance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	advcl	_	_
18	to	to	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	halt	halt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	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 | **require** | present | a railway train | a considerable distance |  | order |  | for the principal reason | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme distance=Precondition |
| 3 | **come** | to-infinitive | a railway train *not said here* |  |  | a halt |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to halt=Initial\_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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The rails are designed to accelerate any train that attempts to slow

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e1:o1:1
# text = The rails are designed to accelerate any train that attempts to slow
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rails	rail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	designed	design	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	accelerate	accelerate	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
7	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	det	_	_
8	train	train	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	attempts	attempt	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	slow	slow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **design** | present · passive |  | the rails |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Result |
| 2 | **accelerate** | to-infinitive |  | any train |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent train=Patient |
| 3 | **attempt** | present | any train |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 4 | **slow** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | any train *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Railway trains are not equipped with brakes of any description

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e1:o2:1
# text = Railway trains are not equipped with brakes of any description
1	Railway	railway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	trains	train	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	equipped	equip	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	brakes	brake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	10	det	_	_
10	description	description	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **equip** | present · passive |  | Railway trains |  |  |  | with brakes of any description | vn equip-13.4.2-1 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP»: subject=Recipient with brake=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Braking is permitted exclusively within the confines of a station

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e1:o3:1
# text = Braking is permitted exclusively within the confines of a station
1	Braking	braking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	permitted	permit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	within	within	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	confines	confines	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	station	station	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **permit** | present · passive |  | Braking |  |  |  | within the confines of a station; exclusively *property* | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The low friction between steel wheels and steel rails permits the train to roll with great ease, so that braking is protracted

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e1:o4:1
# text = The low friction between steel wheels and steel rails permits the train to roll with great ease, so that braking is protracted
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	friction	friction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
4	between	between	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	steel	steel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	wheels	wheel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	steel	steel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	rails	rail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
10	permits	permit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	train	train	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	roll	roll	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	acl	_	_
15	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	ease	ease	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
19	so	so	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	23	mark	_	_
20	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	19	fixed	_	_
21	braking	braking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nsubj:pass	_	_
22	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	23	aux:pass	_	_
23	protracted	protract	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **permit** | present | the low friction between steel wheels and steel rails | the train |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent train=Theme |
| 2 | **roll** | to-infinitive | the low friction between steel wheels and steel rails *not said here* | the train *not said here* |  |  |  | with great ease | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP.location V PP.theme»: agent=Location with ease=Theme |
| 3 | **protract** | present · passive |  | braking |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: subject=Theme |

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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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- ← previous: [Trains and the Underground, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/t11/)
- next →: [Trains and the Underground, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Trains and the Underground](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/)