---
title: What reason does Dick give for requesting that the cat be returned t… — Old Tales, Whittington and His Cat, pa… · tree and pragmatics
description: What reason does Dick give for requesting that the cat be returned to him after the voyage? Exam question 3 of lesson 1968 «Old Tales, Whittington and His Cat, part 27: Dick's cat wins his place at court across the sea» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragm
---

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# Exam question 3 · Old Tales, Whittington and His Cat, part 27: Dick's cat wi…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What reason does Dick give for requesting that the cat be returned to him after the voyage?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** reason · **What happens:** give, request, return · **To what, where:** cat, Dick

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 1968 «Old Tales, Whittington and His Cat, part 27: Dick's cat wins his place at court across the sea» 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/1968-pg7439-part27/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1968-pg7439-part27:e3:1
# text = What reason does Dick give for requesting that the cat be returned to him after the voyage?
1	What	what	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	2	det	_	_
2	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:outer	_	_
3	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	Dick	Dick	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
7	requesting	request	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
8	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
11	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	returned	return	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	advcl	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	_
15	after	after	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	voyage	voyage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · do-support | what reason |  |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **request** | gerund | what reason *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn beg-58.2 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **return** | infinitive · passive |  | the cat | Dick |  | after the voyage |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme to he=Destination |

<!-- .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 rats and mice would keep him awake all night, and he had grown fond of the animal during the long voyage

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1968-pg7439-part27:e3:o1:1
# text = The rats and mice would keep him awake all night, and he had grown fond of the animal during the long voyage
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	mice	mouse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
5	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
13	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
14	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	grown	grow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	6	parataxis	_	_
16	fond	fond	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	xcomp	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
20	during	during	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
22	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	23	amod	_	_
23	voyage	voyage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | would | the rats and mice | him *= he* |  |  | night | awake *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 2 | **grow** | past · perfect | he |  |  |  | during the long voyage | fond *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Without the cat the rats would keep him awake all night and he would have no one to warm his bed on the cold garret floor

<!-- fold The tree, 26 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1968-pg7439-part27:e3:o2:1
# text = Without the cat the rats would keep him awake all night and he would have no one to warm his bed on the cold garret floor
1	Without	without	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
6	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	_
10	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	det	_	_
11	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl:unmarked	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
13	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
14	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	_
16	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	17	det	_	_
17	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	_
18	to	to	PART	TO	_	19	mark	_	_
19	warm	warm	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	xcomp	_	_
20	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	21	nmod:poss	_	_
21	bed	bed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	_
22	on	on	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
23	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
24	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	26	amod	_	_
25	garret	garret	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	26	compound	_	_
26	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | would | the rats | cat |  |  | night | without the cat; awake *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 2 | **have** | would | cat | no one |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **warm** | to-infinitive | no one *not said here* | cat's bed |  | the cold garret floor |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent bed=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The rats and mice would keep him awake all night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1968-pg7439-part27:e3:o3:1
# text = The rats and mice would keep him awake all night
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	mice	mouse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
5	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | would | the rats and mice | him *= he* |  |  | night | awake *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had nobody else to talk to in the house

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1968-pg7439-part27:e3:o4:1
# text = He had nobody else to talk to in the house
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	obj	_	_
4	else	else	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	talk	talk	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	obl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | He | nobody |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nobody=Patient |
| 2 | **talk** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* |  |  | the house |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- div src -->

**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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