---
title: Ascertain the cause assigned by the Gryphon for the whiting's tail b… — Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the cause assigned by the Gryphon for the whiting's tail being found in its mouth. Exam question 3 of lesson 19 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1: The Lobster Quadrille (a dance, a whiting and a porpoise)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pra
---

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# Exam question 3 · Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1: The Lobster Quadri…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the cause assigned by the Gryphon for the whiting's tail being found in its mouth.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain, assign, find · **To what, where:** cause, tail, mouth

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 19 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1: The Lobster Quadrille (a dance, a whiting and a porpoise)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1:e3:1
# text = Ascertain the cause assigned by the Gryphon for the whiting's tail being found in its mouth.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cause	cause	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	assigned	assign	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Gryphon	Gryphon	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	whiting	whiting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
13	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	found	find	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	acl	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	mouth	mouth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the cause |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cause=Topic |
| 2 | **assign** | participle |  | the cause *not said here* |  |  |  | by the Gryphon; for the whiting's tail *goal* | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP PP.goal»: agent=Agent for tail=Goal |
| 3 | **find** | gerund · passive |  | the whiting's tail *not said here* |  | tail's mouth |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF» |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its being thrown out to sea

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1:e3:o1:1
# text = Its being thrown out to sea
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	thrown	throw	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **throw out** | gerund · passive |  | Its *= it* |  | sea |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: subject=Theme to sea=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its having been eaten and then thrown away

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1:e3:o2:1
# text = Its having been eaten and then thrown away
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
2	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	aux	_	_
3	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	eaten	eat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	7	advmod	_	_
7	thrown	throw	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
8	away	away	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | gerund · perfect · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V» |
| 2 | **throw away** | participle |  |  |  |  | then | away *property* | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its having been thrown out to sea with the lobsters and having fallen a long way

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1:e3:o3:1
# text = Its having been thrown out to sea with the lobsters and having fallen a long way
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
2	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	aux	_	_
3	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	thrown	throw	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	out	out	ADP	RP	_	4	compound:prt	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	lobsters	lobster	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	13	aux	_	_
13	fallen	fall	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	conj	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **throw out** | gerund · perfect · passive |  |  |  | sea |  | with the lobsters | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: to sea=Destination |
| 2 | **fall** | gerund · perfect |  | a long way |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1-1 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Patient way=Result |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its being chased by a lobster and falling down

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1:e3:o4:1
# text = Its being chased by a lobster and falling down
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	chased	chase	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lobster	lobster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	falling	fall	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
9	down	down	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chase** | gerund · passive | a lobster | Its *= it* |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 2 | **fall down** | gerund | a lobster *not said here* |  |  |  |  | down *property* | vn occur-48.3 «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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1/e2/)
- next →: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Alice in Wonderland, chapter X, part 1: The Lobster Quadrille (a dance, a whiting and a porpoise)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/19-alice-the-lobster-quadrille-1/)