---
title: Ascertain the purpose of the coloured markings applied to the carria… — Tunnels and what lies under the street · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the purpose of the coloured markings applied to the carriageway prior to excavation. Exam question 2 of lesson 29 «Tunnels and what lies under the street» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's c
---

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# Exam question 2 · Tunnels and what lies under the street

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the purpose of the coloured markings applied to the carriageway prior to excavation.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, coloured markings · **What happens:** ascertain, apply, purpose · **To what, where:** purpose, coloured markings

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 29 «Tunnels and what lies under the street» 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/29-tunnels-and-under-the-street/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e2:1
# text = Ascertain the purpose of the coloured markings applied to the carriageway prior to excavation.
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	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	coloured	coloured	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	markings	marking	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
8	applied	apply	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	carriageway	carriageway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	prior	prior	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	14	case	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	fixed	_	_
14	excavation	excavation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	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 of the coloured markings |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent purpose=Topic |
| 2 | **apply** | participle |  | the coloured markings *not said here* |  |  |  | to the carriageway prior excavation | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **purpose** |  | the coloured markings |  |  |  |  |  | nom purpose «cognition intransitive»: of=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.

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They indicate the position of pipes and cables beneath the surface

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e2:o1:1
# text = They indicate the position of pipes and cables beneath the surface
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	indicate	indicate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	position	position	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	pipes	pipe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	cables	cable	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
9	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | present | They | the position of pipes and cables |  |  |  | beneath the surface | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot position=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They designate areas reserved for the parking of vehicles belonging to the workmen

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e2:o2:1
# text = They designate areas reserved for the parking of vehicles belonging to the workmen
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	designate	designate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	areas	area	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	reserved	reserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	parking	parking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	vehicles	vehicle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
10	belonging	belong	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	acl	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	workmen	workman	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **designate** | present | They | areas |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent area=Theme |
| 2 | **reserve** | participle |  | areas *not said here* |  |  |  | for the parking of vehicles | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent for parking=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **belong** | gerund | vehicles *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to the workmen | vn attend-107.4-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They indicate the location of future potholes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e2:o3:1
# text = They indicate the location of future potholes
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	indicate	indicate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	location	location	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	future	future	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	potholes	pothole	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | present | They | the location of future potholes |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot location=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are applied solely for decorative purposes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e2:o4:1
# text = They are applied solely for decorative purposes
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	applied	apply	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	decorative	decorative	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	purposes	purpose	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | present · passive |  | They |  |  |  | for decorative purposes; solely *property* | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: subject=Theme for purpose=Eventuality |

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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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