---
title: Did he actually think the blows could never be causeless, mate? — Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shepherd of My… · tree and pragmatics
description: Did he actually think the blows could never be causeless, mate? Test 13 · ★ of lesson 1993 «Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shepherd of Myddvai: the lake-maiden leaves after three blows» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option;
---

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# Test 13 · ★ · Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shepherd of Myddvai: the lake-maid…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Did he actually think the blows could never be causeless, mate?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** he, blows · **What happens:** do, think, not be · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 13 · ★ of lesson 1993 «Celtic Fairy Tales, The Shepherd of Myddvai: the lake-maiden leaves after three blows» 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/1993-pg7885-part12/#t13).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1993-pg7885-part12:t13:1
# text = Did he actually think the blows could never be causeless, mate?
1	Did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	actually	actually	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	parataxis	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	blows	blow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
7	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
9	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	cop	_	_
10	causeless	causeless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **think** *speech: other* | present | he |  |  |  |  | actually *property* | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **is** | could | the blows |  |  |  |  | mate *vocative*; causeless *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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nah, mate, he knew all along that blows could happen, and he just didn't care

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1993-pg7885-part12:t13:o1:1
# text = Nah, mate, he knew all along that blows could happen, and he just didn't care
1	Nah	nah	INTJ	UH	_	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
5	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	knew	know	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	all	all	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	along	along	ADP	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	10	det	_	_
10	blows	blow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
11	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
12	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
15	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
16	just	just	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
17	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	19	advmod	_	_
19	care	care	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **know** | past | he |  |  |  |  | all *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **happen** | could | that blows |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **care** | past · do-support | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn care-88.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, he thought it could never happen

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1993-pg7885-part12:t13:o2:1
# text = Yeah, he thought it could never happen
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
6	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **happen** | could | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, he reckoned it never would

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1993-pg7885-part12:t13:o3:1
# text = Yeah, he reckoned it never would
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	reckoned	reckon	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reckon** | past | he | it |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent it=Attribute |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, he thought it could never happen, mate, cos he was dead sure of it

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1993-pg7885-part12:t13:o4:1
# text = Yeah, he thought it could never happen, mate, cos he was dead sure of it
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
6	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	cos	cos	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
13	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
14	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
15	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	sure	sure	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **think** *speech: other* | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **happen** | could | it |  |  |  |  | mate *vocative* | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | past | he |  |  |  |  | of mate; sure *property* | tree rules |

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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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