---
title: Why does the Pigeon say it does not matter whether Alice is a girl o… — Alice in Wonderland, chapter V, part 2… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why does the Pigeon say it does not matter whether Alice is a girl or a serpent? Test 9 · ★★ of lesson 10 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter V, part 2: The mushroom, the long neck and the Pigeon» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

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# Test 9 · ★★ · Alice in Wonderland, chapter V, part 2: The mushroom, the…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why does the Pigeon say it does not matter whether Alice is a girl or a serpent?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Pigeon, it, Alice · **What happens:** do, say, not matter, be · **To what, where:** girl · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★ of lesson 10 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter V, part 2: The mushroom, the long neck and the Pigeon» of the books 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/books/10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon:t9:1
# text = Why does the Pigeon say it does not matter whether Alice is a girl or a serpent?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	does	do	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Pigeon	Pigeon	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	say	say	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
7	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
8	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
10	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
11	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	advcl	_	_
15	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	serpent	serpent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | present | the Pigeon *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the Pigeon |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **not** **matter** | present · do-support | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **is a** | present | Alice | a girl or a serpent |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
Either way, it thinks she is after its eggs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon:t9:o1:1
# text = Either way, it thinks she is after its eggs
1	Either	either	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	2	det	_	_
2	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	thinks	think	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	after	after	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | present | way | either way |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | she |  |  |  | after way's eggs |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Either way, a girl or a serpent would surely try to climb the tree and steal all of the eggs

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon:t9:o2:1
# text = Either way, a girl or a serpent would surely try to climb the tree and steal all of the eggs
1	Either	either	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	2	det	_	_
2	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	serpent	serpent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
9	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
10	surely	surely	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	try	try	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	climb	climb	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	steal	steal	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	conj	_	_
18	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	17	obj	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | would | a girl or a serpent | either way |  |  |  | surely *property* | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **climb** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | a girl or a serpent *not said here* | the tree |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Initial\_Location tree=Theme |
| 3 | **steal** | present | a girl or a serpent *not said here* | all |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location all=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She will never grow up to be a bird

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon:t9:o3:1
# text = She will never grow up to be a bird
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	up	up	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
7	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	cop	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **grow up** | future | She |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | to-infinitive | She *not said here* | a bird |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Snakes and girls both have long necks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon:t9:o4:1
# text = Snakes and girls both have long necks
1	Snakes	snake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	girls	girl	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	_
4	both	both	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	necks	neck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Snakes and girls | long necks |  |  |  | both *property* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent neck=Patient |

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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: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter V, part 2…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon/t8/)
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- ↑ back to [Alice in Wonderland, chapter V, part 2: The mushroom, the long neck and the Pigeon](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/10-alice-ch5-part2-the-pigeon/)