An exactly specified action is called "explicit".

§1. Explicit actions are used inside the compiler whenever we know exactly what action we are talking about; stored action constants are explicit_action objects in a thin wrapper — see Action Kinds.

typedef struct explicit_action {
    int request;
    struct action_name *action;
    struct parse_node *actor;
    struct parse_node *first_noun;
    struct parse_node *second_noun;
    struct action_pattern *as_described;
} explicit_action;

• The structure explicit_action is accessed in 4/anaa, 4/ac and here.

§2. The code here is concerned with the question: when is an action pattern a description of an explicit action? The answer is only if takes the Goldilocks position of being neither too specific, nor too unspecific:

define UNDERSPECIFIC_EA_FAILURE 1
define OVERSPECIFIC_EA_FAILURE 2

explicit_action *ExplicitActions::from_action_pattern?Usage of ExplicitActions::from_action_pattern:
Action Kinds - §5(action_pattern *ap, int *reason) {
    if (ExplicitActions::ap_underspecific(ap)) { *reason = UNDERSPECIFIC_EA_FAILURE; return NULL; }
    if (ExplicitActions::ap_overspecific(ap)) { *reason = OVERSPECIFIC_EA_FAILURE; return NULL; }
    *reason = 0;
    explicit_action *ea = CREATE(explicit_action);
    ea->action = ActionNameLists::get_the_one_true_action(ap->action_list);
    ea->request = APClauses::is_request(ap);
    ea->actor = APClauses::spec(ap, ACTOR_AP_CLAUSE);
    ea->first_noun = APClauses::spec(ap, NOUN_AP_CLAUSE);
    ea->second_noun = APClauses::spec(ap, SECOND_AP_CLAUSE);
    ea->as_described = ap;
    return ea;
}

§3. A pattern is underspecific if it fails to specify nouns required by the action (example: "taking") or it does specify them, but too vaguely (example: "taking a thing", or "an actor taking the medallion"):

int ExplicitActions::ap_underspecific?Usage of ExplicitActions::ap_underspecific:
§2(action_pattern *ap) {
    action_name *an = ActionPatterns::single_positive_action(ap);
    if (an == NULL) return TRUE;
    if ((ActionSemantics::must_have_noun(an)) &&
        (APClauses::spec(ap, NOUN_AP_CLAUSE) == NULL)) return TRUE;
    if ((ActionSemantics::must_have_second(an)) &&
        (APClauses::spec(ap, SECOND_AP_CLAUSE) == NULL)) return TRUE;
    if ((ActionSemantics::can_have_noun(an)) &&
        (ExplicitActions::clause_unspecific(ap, NOUN_AP_CLAUSE))) return TRUE;
    if ((ActionSemantics::can_have_second(an)) &&
        (ExplicitActions::clause_unspecific(ap, SECOND_AP_CLAUSE))) return TRUE;
    if (ExplicitActions::clause_unspecific(ap, ACTOR_AP_CLAUSE)) return TRUE;
    if (APClauses::actor_is_anyone_except_player(ap)) return TRUE;
    return FALSE;
}

int ExplicitActions::clause_unspecific(action_pattern *ap, int C) {
    parse_node *spec = APClauses::spec(ap, C);
    if (spec == NULL) return FALSE;
    if (Specifications::is_description(spec) == FALSE) return FALSE;
    return TRUE;
}

§4. A pattern is overspecific if it contains any extraneous clauses (example: "taking the medallion in the presence of Matilda"), or refers to past times (example: "taking the medallion for the third time"):

int ExplicitActions::ap_overspecific?Usage of ExplicitActions::ap_overspecific:
§2
Action Pattern Clauses - §18(action_pattern *ap) {
    LOOP_OVER_AP_CLAUSES(apoc, ap)
        if ((APClauses::aspect(apoc) != PRIMARY_APCA) && (apoc->clause_spec))
            return TRUE;
    if (ap->duration) return TRUE;
    return FALSE;
}