---
title: «Just about as much right as pigs have to fly.» What does the Duches… — Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: «Just about as much right as pigs have to fly.» What does the Duchess mean? Test 9 · ★★ of lesson 17 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part 1: The Mock Turtle's Story (the Duchess and her morals)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question a
---

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# Test 9 · ★★ · Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part 1: The Mock Turtle's…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Just about as much right as pigs have to fly.» What does the Duchess mean?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** pigs, Duchess · **What happens:** have, fly, mean

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★ of lesson 17 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part 1: The Mock Turtle's Story (the Duchess and her morals)» 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/17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «Just about as much right as pigs have to fly.»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1:t9:1
# text = «Just about as much right as pigs have to fly.»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
3	about	about	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	as	as	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	much	much	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	pigs	pig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
9	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	fly	fly	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** *in a quote* | present | pigs |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **fly** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | pigs *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=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:* What does the Duchess mean?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1:t9:2
# text = What does the Duchess mean?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	obj	_	_
2	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Duchess	Duchess	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present · do-support | the Duchess |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice may think, but pigs cannot fly at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1:t9:o1:1
# text = Alice may think, but pigs cannot fly at all
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
6	pigs	pig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
7	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
9	fly	fly	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | may | Alice |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **fly** | can | pigs |  |  | all |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V NP.theme PP»: agent=Agent at all=Location |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice has a right to think, as pigs have a right to swim

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1:t9:o2:1
# text = Alice has a right to think, as pigs have a right to swim
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	right	right	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
9	pigs	pig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
10	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	right	right	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	swim	swim	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Alice | a right |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent right=Patient |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | Alice *not said here* | a right *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **have** | present | pigs | a right |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent right=Patient |
| 4 | **swim** | to-infinitive | pigs *not said here* | a right *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice has no right to think at all, as pigs can't fly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1:t9:o3:1
# text = Alice has no right to think at all, as pigs can't fly
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	right	right	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
11	pigs	pig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
12	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	fly	fly	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Alice | no right |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent right=Patient |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | Alice *not said here* | no right *not said here* |  | all |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **fly** | can | pigs |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice has very little right to think, since pigs can never fly

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1:t9:o4:1
# text = Alice has very little right to think, since pigs can never fly
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	very	very	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	right	right	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
9	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
10	pigs	pig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
11	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
12	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
13	fly	fly	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Alice | little right |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent right=Patient |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | Alice *not said here* | little right *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **fly** | can | pigs |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=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.

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- ↑ back to [Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part 1: The Mock Turtle's Story (the Duchess and her morals)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1/)