---
title: Was the axe fussy before it would cut the rod? — Celtic Fairy Tales, Munachar and Manac… · tree and pragmatics
description: Was the axe fussy before it would cut the rod? Test 6 · ★ of lesson 1997 «Celtic Fairy Tales, Munachar and Manachar: greedy Manachar eats every raspberry, so Munachar sets out to make a rope and hang him» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the qu
---

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# Test 6 · ★ · Celtic Fairy Tales, Munachar and Manachar: greedy Manachar…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Was the axe fussy before it would cut the rod?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** axe · **What happens:** be, cut · **To what, where:** axe, rod

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★ of lesson 1997 «Celtic Fairy Tales, Munachar and Manachar: greedy Manachar eats every raspberry, so Munachar sets out to make a rope and hang him» 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/1997-pg7885-part16/#t6).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1997-pg7885-part16:t6:1
# text = Was the axe fussy before it would cut the rod?
1	Was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	axe	axe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	csubj	_	_
4	fussy	fussy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
7	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	cut	cut	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	rod	rod	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past |  | the axe |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **cut** | would | axe | the rod |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material rod=Product |

<!-- .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 -->
Yeah, it wanted a flag to edge it, and the flag wanted a fresh coat of paint

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1997-pg7885-part16:t6:o1:1
# text = Yeah, it wanted a flag to edge it, and the flag wanted a fresh coat of paint
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	flag	flag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	edge	edge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	flag	flag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	fresh	fresh	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	coat	coat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	paint	paint	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | it | a flag and edge |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot flag=Theme |
| 2 | **edge** |  | edge |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **want** | past | the flag | a fresh coat of paint |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot coat=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, it wanted a flag to edge it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1997-pg7885-part16:t6:o2:1
# text = Yeah, it wanted a flag to edge it
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	flag	flag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	edge	edge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	acl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | it | a flag |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP NP»: agent=Agent flag=Theme it=Attribute |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, it wanted a deer to swim

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1997-pg7885-part16:t6:o3:1
# text = Yeah, it wanted a deer to swim
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	deer	deer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	swim	swim	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | past | it | a deer |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **swim** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | a deer *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, it was dead fussy, wanted a flag to edge it and a new handle as well

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:1997-pg7885-part16:t6:o4:1
# text = Yeah, it was dead fussy, wanted a flag to edge it and a new handle as well
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	fussy	fussy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	wanted	want	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	flag	flag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	edge	edge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	acl	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	handle	handle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
18	as	as	ADV	RB	ExtPos=ADV	6	advmod	_	_
19	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	18	fixed	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | it |  |  |  |  | fussy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **want** | past |  | a flag |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP NP»: agent=Agent flag=Theme it=Attribute |

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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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Celtic Fairy Tales, Munachar and Manac…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/1997-pg7885-part16/t5/)
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