---
title: Why is the Cat's proof that it is mad not a good proof? — Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why is the Cat's proof that it is mad not a good proof? Test 3 · ★★ of lesson 12 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part 2: The baby, the pig and the Cheshire Cat» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice w
---

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# Test 3 · ★★ · Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part 2: The baby, the pig…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why is the Cat's proof that it is mad not a good proof?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** proof · **What happens:** be · **To what, where:** proof

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★★ of lesson 12 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part 2: The baby, the pig and the Cheshire Cat» 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/12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat/#t3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat:t3:1
# text = Why is the Cat's proof that it is mad not a good proof?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	proof	proof	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	mad	mad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	acl	_	_
11	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	proof	proof	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | the Cat's proof |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | proof | the Cat's proof *not said here* |  |  |  | a good proof *obl*; mad *property* | 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Cat is a cat, and so cannot possibly be mad, because it grins without a face at all

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat:t3:o1:1
# text = The Cat is a cat, and so cannot possibly be mad, because it grins without a face at all
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
8	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
9	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
11	possibly	possibly	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
12	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	cop	_	_
13	mad	mad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
15	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	grins	grin	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
18	without	without	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	face	face	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	_
21	at	at	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
22	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	17	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the Cat | a cat |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **is** | can |  |  |  |  |  | mad, possibly *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **grin** | present | Cat |  |  | all |  | without a face | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Cat was never really mad, only sleepy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat:t3:o2:1
# text = The Cat was never really mad, only sleepy
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
5	really	really	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	mad	mad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	only	only	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	sleepy	sleepy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is** | past | the Cat |  |  |  |  | mad *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | the Cat *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice never actually saw the Cat growl

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat:t3:o3:1
# text = Alice never actually saw the Cat growl
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
3	actually	actually	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	Cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	growl	growl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **see** | past | Alice | the Cat growl |  |  |  | actually *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer growl=Stimulus |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cat's purr is not the same as a dog's growl

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat:t3:o4:1
# text = A cat's purr is not the same as a dog's growl
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	purr	purr	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
9	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	growl	growl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is** | present | a cat's purr |  |  |  |  | as a dog's growl; same *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **purr** |  | a cat |  |  |  |  |  | nom purr «event intransitive»: poss=agent |
| 3 | **growl** |  | a dog |  |  |  |  |  | nom growl «event intransitive»: poss=agent |

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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.

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- ← previous: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part…, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat/t2/)
- next →: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat/t4/)
- ↑ back to [Alice in Wonderland, chapter VI, part 2: The baby, the pig and the Cheshire Cat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/12-alice-ch6-part2-the-cheshire-cat/)