---
title: About Harrison's sea clock: "A clock that saves ships? Mint." ("Mint… — Pendulums, Greenwich and railway time,… · tree and pragmatics
description: About Harrison's sea clock: "A clock that saves ships? Mint." ("Mint" means great.) How did a clock save ships? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 123 «Pendulums, Greenwich and railway time, atomic clocks and phones» of the world course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the ques
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Pendulums, Greenwich and railway time, atomic clocks and p…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
About Harrison's sea clock: "A clock that saves ships? Mint." ("Mint" means great.) How did a clock save ships?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** clock, Mint · **What happens:** save, mean · **To what, where:** ships

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 123 «Pendulums, Greenwich and railway time, atomic clocks and phones» of the world 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/world/123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* About Harrison's sea clock: "A clock that saves ships?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:1
# text = About Harrison's sea clock: "A clock that saves ships?
1	About	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
2	Harrison	Harrison	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	saves	save	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	ships	ship	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **save** *in a quote* | present | a clock | ships |  |  |  | about Harrison's sea clock | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ship=Theme |

<!-- .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:* Mint."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:2
# text = Mint."
1	Mint	mint	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* ("Mint" means great.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:3
# text = ("Mint" means great.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Mint	mint	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Mint |  |  |  |  | great *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 4:* How did a clock save ships?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:4
# text = How did a clock save ships?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	save	save	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	ships	ship	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **save** | past · do-support | a clock | ships |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ship=Theme |

## The options {#options}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It let sailors work out how far east or west they were

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:o1:1
# text = It let sailors work out how far east or west they were
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	let	let	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	sailors	sailor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	work	work	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	out	out	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
7	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	8	advmod	_	_
8	east	east	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	west	west	ADV	RB	_	8	conj	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	were	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **let** | past | It | sailors |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **work out** | infinitive | sailors *not said here* |  |  |  |  | east *property* | vn discover-84 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **be** | past | sailors *= sailor* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It steered the ship all by itself

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:o2:1
# text = It steered the ship all by itself
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	steered	steer	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ship	ship	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	all	all	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	itself	itself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **steer** | past | It | the ship |  |  |  | by ship; all *property* | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent ship=Theme by itself=Destination |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It warned sailors of storms coming by ringing a loud bell

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:o3:1
# text = It warned sailors of storms coming by ringing a loud bell
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	warned	warn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	sailors	sailor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	storms	storm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
6	coming	come	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	ringing	ring	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	loud	loud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	bell	bell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **warn** *speech: warn* | past | It | sailors of storms |  |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent sailor=Recipient |
| 2 | **come** | gerund | storms *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **ring** | gerund |  | a loud bell |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location bell=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It kept the sailors awake at night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:world:123-pendulums-greenwich-atomic-clocks:t3:o4:1
# text = It kept the sailors awake at night
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	sailors	sailor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past | It | the sailors |  |  | night | awake *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sailor=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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