---
title: Ascertain the request which the Mole addressed to the Rat on the mor… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the request which the Mole addressed to the Rat on the morning in question. Exam question 2 of lesson 29 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road (the Ducks' Ditty, and a visit to Toad Hall)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and prag
---

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# Exam question 2 · The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the request which the Mole addressed to the Rat on the morning in question.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, Mole · **What happens:** ascertain, address · **To what, where:** request, question

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 29 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road (the Ducks' Ditty, and a visit to Toad Hall)» 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/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:e2:1
# text = Ascertain the request which the Mole addressed to the Rat on the morning in question.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	request	request	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	obj	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	Mole	mole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	addressed	address	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	morning	morning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	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 request |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent request=Topic |
| 2 | **address** | past | the Mole | the request |  | question | morning | to the Rat | vn illustrate-25.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent which=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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That he be taken to call upon Mr. Toad

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:e2:o1:1
# text = That he be taken to call upon Mr. Toad
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	taken	take	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	call	call	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	Mr.	Mr.	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:desc	_	_
9	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | infinitive · passive |  | That |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2 «NP V NP to be ADJ»: subject=Theme clause=Attribute |
| 2 | **call** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | upon Toad  Mr. | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That he be shown the river and the boats

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:e2:o2:1
# text = That he be shown the river and the boats
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	shown	show	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	boats	boat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | infinitive · passive |  | That |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: subject=Recipient river=Topic |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That he be lent a boat today

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:e2:o3:1
# text = That he be lent a boat today
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	lent	lend	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lend** | infinitive · passive |  | That |  |  | today |  | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: subject=Recipient boat=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That he be taken to call upon Mr. Toad at Toad Hall this very afternoon, if possible

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:e2:o4:1
# text = That he be taken to call upon Mr. Toad at Toad Hall this very afternoon, if possible
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	taken	take	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	call	call	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	Mr.	Mr.	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:desc	_	_
9	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	Hall	Hall	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
13	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	15	det	_	_
14	very	very	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	afternoon	afternoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
17	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
18	possible	possible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | infinitive · passive |  | That |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2 «NP V NP to be ADJ»: subject=Theme clause=Attribute |
| 2 | **call** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  | afternoon | upon Toad  Mr.; at Toad Hall | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Agent at hall=Stimulus |

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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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- ← previous: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/e1/)
- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/e3/)
- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road (the Ducks' Ditty, and a visit to Toad Hall)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/)