---
title: Who was the mean old fella who was chasing the deer? — Heroic Romances, The Finding of Oisin:… · tree and pragmatics
description: Who was the mean old fella who was chasing the deer? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 1050 «Heroic Romances, The Finding of Oisin: Fionn finds a naked boy among the fighting hounds and takes him home as his own» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the questio
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Heroic Romances, The Finding of Oisin: Fionn finds a naked…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Who was the mean old fella who was chasing the deer?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mean old fella · **What happens:** be, chase · **To what, where:** mean old fella, deer

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 1050 «Heroic Romances, The Finding of Oisin: Fionn finds a naked boy among the fighting hounds and takes him home as his own» 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/1050-pg2892-part18/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1050-pg2892-part18:t9:1
# text = Who was the mean old fella who was chasing the deer?
1	Who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	mean	mean	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	fella	fella	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	chasing	chase	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	acl:relcl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	deer	deer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the mean old fella |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **chase** | past · progressive | the mean old fella | the deer |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent deer=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A dark stranger who spoke sweetly then shouted at the hounds

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1050-pg2892-part18:t9:o1:1
# text = A dark stranger who spoke sweetly then shouted at the hounds
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
5	spoke	speak	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
6	sweetly	sweetly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	8	advmod	_	_
8	shouted	shout	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	hounds	hound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **speak** *speech: other* | past | a dark stranger |  |  |  |  | sweetly *property* | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **shout** *speech: express* | participle · passive |  | a dark stranger |  |  | then | at the hounds | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V NP»: subject=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dark man, who talked soft one minute and roared the next, and who came with a hazel rod in his hand and a cloak of black

<!-- fold The tree, 27 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1050-pg2892-part18:t9:o2:1
# text = The dark man, who talked soft one minute and roared the next, and who came with a hazel rod in his hand and a cloak of black
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	talked	talk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	minute	minute	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	roared	roar	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	next	next	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	17	nsubj	_	_
17	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
18	with	with	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
20	hazel	hazel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	compound	_	_
21	rod	rod	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	_
22	in	in	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	24	nmod:poss	_	_
24	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	_
25	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	27	cc	_	_
26	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
27	cloak	cloak	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	conj	_	_
28	of	of	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **talk** | past | the dark man |  |  |  | minute |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **roar** | past | the dark man *not said here* | the next |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location next=Theme |
| 3 | **come** | past |  |  |  | man's hand and a cloak of black |  | with a hazel rod | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in hand=Location |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dark man, who talked soft one minute and roared the next

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1050-pg2892-part18:t9:o3:1
# text = The dark man, who talked soft one minute and roared the next
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	talked	talk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	minute	minute	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	roared	roar	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	next	next	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **talk** | past | the dark man |  |  |  | minute |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **roar** | past | the dark man *not said here* | the next |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location next=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A hunter with a rod

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1050-pg2892-part18:t9:o4:1
# text = A hunter with a rod
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hunter	hunter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rod	rod	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
```

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

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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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