---
title: The Mole asks if river life is dull, with no one to talk to. Why is… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter I, pa… · tree and pragmatics
description: The Mole asks if river life is dull, with no one to talk to. Why is the Rat's answer a joke? Test 4 · ★★ of lesson 26 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter I, part 2: The River Bank (the picnic basket, the Wild Wood and the Wide World)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency t
---

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# Test 4 · ★★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter I, part 2: The River Bank…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Mole asks if river life is dull, with no one to talk to. Why is the Rat's answer a joke?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Mole, river life, answer, Rat · **What happens:** ask, be, talk, answer

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★★ of lesson 26 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter I, part 2: The River Bank (the picnic basket, the Wild Wood and the Wide World)» 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/26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood/#t4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* The Mole asks if river life is dull, with no one to talk to.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood:t4:1
# text = The Mole asks if river life is dull, with no one to talk to.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Mole	mole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	asks	ask	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	dull	dull	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	12	det	_	_
12	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	parataxis	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	talk	talk	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	acl	_	_
15	to	to	ADP	IN	_	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present | the Mole |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | river life |  |  |  |  | dull *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **talk** | to-infinitive | river life *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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:* Why is the Rat's answer a joke?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood:t4:2
# text = Why is the Rat's answer a joke?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the Rat's answer |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **answer** |  | the Rat |  |  |  |  |  | nom answer «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He says he hates visitors

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood:t4:o1:1
# text = He says he hates visitors
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	hates	hate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
5	visitors	visitor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **hate** | present | he | visitors |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer visitor=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He says the river is so lonely that he never speaks at all to anyone

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood:t4:o2:1
# text = He says the river is so lonely that he never speaks at all to anyone
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	lonely	lonely	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
8	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	speaks	speak	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
12	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	obl	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the river |  |  |  |  | lonely *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **speak** *speech: other* | present | he |  |  | all |  | to anyone | vn talk-37.5 «NP V PP.co-agent»: agent=Agent to anyone=Co-Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He says it's far too crowded

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood:t4:o3:1
# text = He says it's far too crowded
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	7	advmod	_	_
6	too	too	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	crowded	crowded	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | it |  |  |  |  | crowded, far *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He says he would be happy with nothing but the mud and the Mole's company

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood:t4:o4:1
# text = He says he would be happy with nothing but the mud and the Mole's company
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	cop	_	_
6	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	6	obl	_	_
9	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	mud	mud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	Mole	mole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	's	PART	POS	_	14	case	_	_
16	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | would | he |  |  |  |  | with nothing; happy *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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter I, part 2: The River Bank (the picnic basket, the Wild Wood and the Wide World)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/26-willows-ch1-part2-the-river-and-the-wild-wood/)